In:

The Lancet

Author:

Constância F J Ayres

Zika virus is an emerging pathogen that has recently been causing serious epidemics around the world. Cases of Zika virus disease were reported in Micronesia in 20071 and then in French Polynesia in 2013.2 In French Polynesia, Guillain-Barré syndrome was reported for the first time in a few patients following Zika virus infection. In Brazil, Zika virus was introduced in 2014,3 and was subsequently associated with cases of microcephaly. So far, an estimated minimum of 400 000 cases of Zika virus disease have been reported in 24 states in Brazil, although the number of cases could be far higher. Most cases are concentrated in the Pernambuco state, in the northeast region. Currently, many countries in South and Central America, besides Brazil, are reporting a high number of Zika virus disease cases. Before 2007, very few human cases had been reported, and as a result, this virus has been poorly studied. It is important to highlight that other diseases caused by Zika virus infection might be identifi ed in the future. This arbovirus has only just
begun to spread and could become endemic in some areas in a very rapid manner.

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