A review on Zika virus outbreak, epidemiology, transmission and infection dynamics

Abstract

Zika virus (ZIKV) is a newly emergent relative of the Flaviviridae family and linked to dengue (DENV) and Chikungunya (CHIVKV). ZIKV is one of the rising pathogens promptly surpassing geographical borders. ZIKV infection was characterized by mild disease with fever, headache, rash, arthralgia and conjunctivitis, with exceptional reports of an association with Guillain-Barre syndrome (GBS) and microcephaly. However, since the end of 2015, an increase in the number of GBS associated cases and an astonishing number of microcephaly in fetus and new-borns in Brazil have been related to ZIKV infection, raising serious worldwide public health concerns. ZIKV is transmitted by the bite of infected female mosquitoes of Aedes species. Clarifying such worrisome relationships is, thus, a current unavoidable goal. Here, we extensively described the current understanding of the effects of ZIKV on heath, clinical manifestation, diagnosis and treatment options based on modern, alternative and complementary medicines regarding the disease.

Keywords: Aedes mosquito; Epidemiology; Guillain–Barré syndrome; Microcephaly; Treatment; Zika virus.

Fig. 1

Chronological time-line of ZIKV epidemic from 1947–2016

Fig. 2

The genome organization of ZIKV

Fig. 3

Schematic diagram representing the transmission of ZIKV

Fig. 4

Transmission cycle of ZIKV

Fig. 5

Flow scheme for ZIKV fever diagnosis [73, 74]

Fig. 6

Schematic representation of possible ZIKV treatment

Fig. 7

Proposed workflow for drug development against ZIKV