Abstract

Zika virus, a mosquito borne flavivirus transmitted primar­ily by Aedes aegypti mosquitoes is a pathogen affecting humans. These vectors also trans­mit dengue and chikungunya virus and are found throughout much of the world, including parts of the United States. An estimated 80% of persons infected with Zika virus are asymptomatic. Microcephaly is the greater risk for the infant born from the Zika Virus infected pregnant mother. This virus also causes neurological syndromes. Zika virus disease can often be diagnosed by performing reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) on serum. Keywords: Zika Virus, Pregnancy, Microcephaly, Aedes aegypti mosquito, Brazil.

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