infectious diseases
Zika Virus (ZV) Infections
Introduction
The Zika virus is a mosquito-borne flavivirus that is antigenically and structurally similar to the viruses that cause dengue, yellow fever, and West Nile virus. Zika virus infection is typically asymptomatic but can cause fever, rash, joint pain, or conjunctivitis; Zika virus infection during pregnancy can cause microcephaly (a serious birth defect), eye abnormalities, and a number of developmental impairments termed congenital Zika syndrome. Diagnosis is with enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay or reverse transcriptase–polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). Treatment is supportive. Prevention involves avoiding mosquito bites, avoiding unprotected sex with a partner at risk of having Zika virus infection, and, for pregnant women and their partners, avoiding travel to areas with ongoing transmission. (See also Overview of Arbovirus, Arenavirus, and Filovirus Infections .) Zika virus (ZV), like the viruses that cause Dengue , The main vectors areA. aegyptiandA. albopictus. In the United States,A. aegyptiis restricted to an area that extends from the deep South along the United States-Mexican border to southern California.A. albopictus, which better adapted to colder climates, is present in a large part of the southeast up through the Upper Midwest and in southern California.A. aegyptiis considered to be the main vector for epidemic Zika virus infection;A. albopictusis thought to be a secondary vector of epidemic Zika virus infection in the tropics, but whether it would do so in the more temperate climate of the United States is unclear. AlthoughA. aegyptifeeds almost exclusively on humans,A. albopictusfeeds on humans as well as variety of other animals that are not susceptible to the virus and are not involved in transmission chains. 