Zika virus epidemiology: from Uganda to world pandemic, an update
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abstract
Zika virus infection is an emergent worldwide public health problem. Cases have been reported in sixty-one countries; thirty-eight of these in Latin America. It is a Flavivirus transmitted through arthropods belonging to the Aedes genus. Since 2015, Zika Virus infections have increased dramatically; with 400.000 to 1.3 million people infected during 2015 in Brazil alone. This paper’s objective is to highlight the conjectural epidemiological points of the virus dissemination. Pubmed, MEDLINE, EMBASE and Chocrane were searched. Papers that assessed epidemiological aspects of Zika Virus transmission and epidemiology were included. The first isolation occurred in Uganda in 1947. Since then, important outbreaks were documented globally. Consequently, an emergent public health problem arose from rapidly increasing incidence and its association with the development of neurological diseases such as microcephaly and Guillain-Barré syndrome. Surveillance of mosquitos in the neighbourhood, an early mosquito control treatment, an assertive information campaign, the involvement of the local population and healthcare workers are key factors in the successful containment of outbreaks. Zika Virus seems to be spreading globally in a similar manner to other arboviruses, including Dengue and Chikungunya viruses, the containment could be quick since there are already necessary resources and regulatory tools as control measures.
