Expansion of Zika virus circulation from Africa to the Americas, 1947-2018: a literature reviewObjective: to describe the temporal and geographical expansion of Zika virus (ZIKV) circulation in countries and territories, from the time it was first isolated until 2018.
Methods: This was a non-systematic literature review covering the period from 1947 to 2018 using the MEDLINE database and World Health Organization estimates.
Results: Since its isolation in 1947, ZIKV circulation spread through Africa, Asia and the Pacific before reaching the Americas in 2013, causing serious clinical manifestations; the highest seroprevalence rates were recorded in Yap (74%) and in Brazil (63%); genetic mutations, absence of immunity and high vector susceptibility may have influenced ZIKV transmissibility and help to explain the magnitude of its expansion.
Conclusion: The spread of ZIKV circulation in the Americas was the most extensive recorded thus far, possibly as a result of population and geographical characteristics of the sites where the virus circulated.
Keywords:
Zika Virus, Flavivirus; Epidemiology; Epidemics; Congenital Abnormalities; Review Literature as Topic
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Notes:A) Timeline of Zika virus circulation expansion up until 2015.B) Measures adopted by health authorities (Brazilian Ministry of Health, Pan American Health Organization [PAHO] and World Health Organization [WHO]) in the face of the increased number of microcephaly Guillain-Barré syndrome cases in Brazil.
Legend:NT: virus neutralization test to detect antibodies.ELISA: enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay.CF: complement fixation test.HI: hemagglutination inhibition test.IMT: intracerebrally inoculated mice test.VI: virus isolation.PCR: polymerase chain reaction.RT-PCR: reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction.
Notes:A) Countries or territories registering Zika virus circulation by the 1950s.B) Countries or territories registering Zika virus circulation during the 1960s, 1970s, 1980s and 1990s.C) Countries or territories registering Zika virus circulation in the 2000s; the circle indicates the Pacific Islands.D) All countries recording presence of Zika virus between 2010 and January 2018.
Notes:A) Countries or territories registering Zika virus circulation between 2014 and 2015.B) Countries or territories registering Zika virus circulation in 2016.C) Countries or territories registering Zika virus circulation in 2017.