Abstract
As the concerns regarding Zika virus (ZIKV) are mostly of neurological disorders, especially in neonates and infants, other possible threats of the virus may have been overlooked. Our study focuses on the potential threat that ZIKV may pose to the heart like that of similar arboviral diseases. We conducted a literature search of multiple terms in March 2017 using the search engines, PubMed, Embase, and SCOPUS. Articles were then reviewed by two independent reviewers, adhering strictly to our review criteria. No discriminations were made whether the studies were conducted on human or non-human subjects. Three relevant studies were shortlisted and finalized. The nature of the studies is as follows: prospective observational multicenter study (n = 9), case report (n = 1), and animal studies (n = 5). The studies suggested an association between cardiovascular complications and ZIKV in the acute phase of the infection. We recognize the limitations of our study owing to the paucity of the sample size of our literature review. However, the significant findings have also proved the dire need to conduct more research to further back the possibility of ZIKV’s influence on the cardiac cells. Closely studying these associations can eventually help develop a vaccine for ZIKV in the near future.
Highlights
BackgroundThe Zika virus (ZIKV) has reportedly existed in humans since 1954 [1], but it was not until February 2016 that the World Health Organization (WHO) declared it a public health emergency of international concern (PHEIC) [2]
Our study focuses on the potential threat that ZIKV may pose to the heart like that of similar arboviral diseases
A 45-year-old healthy male with a recent history of traveling to the French West Indies arrived at an outpatient department (OPD) in France with complaints of fever, diffuse joint pain, myalgia, headache, and diarrhea over the past five days [19]
Summary
The Zika virus (ZIKV) has reportedly existed in humans since 1954 [1], but it was not until February 2016 that the World Health Organization (WHO) declared it a public health emergency of international concern (PHEIC) [2]. This apprehension came about with an increase in the number of cases, mainly pertaining to the neurological complications [3]. Since it has already been established that similar arboviral diseases, such as chikungunya and dengue, have acute myocardial implications [15], it was suggested that due to the smaller size of the ZIKV, the virus has the ability to invade cardiac cells [16]. Owing to the recent state of emergency that the virus has created [17] and the lack of time lapse since [18], the effects that ZIKV may have on cardiac
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