Abstract

MAGUINA, Ciro  and  GALAN-RODAS, Edén. The Zika virus: a literature review. Acta méd. peruana [online]. 2016, vol.33, n.1, pp.35-41. ISSN 1728-5917.

We present a brief review of the new emerging virus in the Americas: the ZIKA virus. For this reason we deal with the main aspects of its history, epidemiology, clinical features, diagnosis, and control. This disease originated in Africa, reached the Americas in 2014, and from 2015 it expanded quickly and steadily affecting almost the whole continent. Although most cases are benign and self-limited, its spread has created a serious concern, since an important group of patients in Brazil have developed the Guillain-Barré syndrome, and many babies from women exposed to the virus were born with microcephaly, being this occurrence described as probably associated to the Zika virus infection. For these reasons, a sanitary emergency has been declared, and the main strategy for fighting the disease is vector control, limiting the spread of Aedes aegypti. Finally, another important aspect in the fight against the Zika virus is the access to practical information, since there are some computer tools which may orient physicians and patients for decision-making.

Keywords : Virus diseases; Guillain-Barre syndrome, Microcephaly; Aedes.

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