Current priorities in the Zika response

Zika virus (ZIKV), a single-stranded RNA virus of the Flaviviridae family, is an arbovirus (viruses transmitted by arthropods) transmitted to humans and non-human primates through the bites of infected female Aedes sp. mosquitoes. Although first isolated in 1947, it only recently emerged as a global threat, present in several countries resulting in a pandemic scenario. ZIKV infections may have severe outcomes, such as neurological impairment, and with the intrinsic ability of inducing microcephaly in fetuses of infected pregnant women, the virus has become a major public health problem. This review discusses some advances in diagnosis; vaccine development and the problems associated with their administration; the importance of the cross-reactivity with other flaviviruses in protecting or worsening the disease; the implications of the recent outbreak caused by the virus in the world; and future prospects for the complete understanding of this disease.