Zika virus

In 2009, it was proved that Zika virus can be sexually transmitted between humans.

There is no vaccine or preventive drug for Zika virus, and only treatment of symptoms is possible.

Zika virus could be considered an emerging pathogen, as it spread outside Africa and Asia for the first time in 2007.

Zika fever is an illness caused by the Zika virus, a member of the family Flaviviridae.

Zika virus (ZIKV)

The first well documented case of Zika virus was in 1964, beginning with a mild headache and progressing to a maculopapular rash, fever, and back pain.

However, serum samples from patients in the acute phase of illness contained RNA of Zika virus.

In terms of replication, flaviviruses generally replicate in the cytoplasm, but Zika virus antigens have been found in infected cell nuclei.

Along with other viruses in this family, Zika virus is enveloped and icosahedral with a non-segmented, single-stranded, positive sense RNA genome.

A single instance of sexual transmission of Zika virus between humans was reported in April, 2011 by a university biologist bitten by mosquitoes while performing research in Senegal who after returning to the US unknowingly transmitted the Zika virus to his wife by vaginal intercourse before he became symptomatic.