Taking the defensive: Immune control of Zika virus infection

ZIKV is a neurotropic mosquito-borne flavivirus that has recently emerged in the Americas and is a pathogen of significant public health concern across the world. ZIKV was first isolated in Uganda in 1947 and remained dormant in Africa and Asia for decades, with sporadic outbreaks characterized by a mild self-limiting disease in humans. The emergence of ZIKV in the Americas corresponded with enhanced disease severity and congenital Zika syndrome, a phenotype characterized by severe microcephaly, brain anomalies, ocular anomalies, congenital contractures and neurological impairments. In less than two years, a collective effort led by the scientific research community has uncovered many new facets to the once rarely discussed ZIKV. In this review, we highlight the known immune parameters that correlate with protective immunity to ZIKV infection, including pattern recognition receptors, interferons, humoral and cell-mediated responses, as well as countermeasures utilized by ZIKV to inhibit host antiviral immune responses.