Zika virus: A Review of an Emerging Disease Threatening Global Health

The Zika virus (ZIKV) has caused a widespread pandemic that is currently spreading throughout Central America, the United States of America, South America, and the Caribbean. The goal of the review is to provide a detailed summary of relevant information to the readers that is currently available about the genetic structure of the Zika virus, transmission, pathogenesis, clinical manifestations, complications, treatment, diagnosis, and genetic composition of Zika virus infection. The relevant literature on ZIKV was retrieved by employing Science Direct, Google Scholar, PubMed, Science Direct Index, electronic databases. The analysis concludes that the Zika virus (ZIKV) primarily spreads among arboreal mosquitoes, including the Aedes aegypti mosquito and other wild primates. Acute human infection is a rare occurrence, even in regions with high endemicity levels. Currently, there is a lack of effective pharmaceutical interventions for the prevention and control of Zika virus (ZIKV) infections. However, therapeutic goals exist that are specific to viruses, potentially paving the way for the manufacture of anti-ZIKV drugs that are accurately targeted.