Abstract
Zika virus (ZIKV) is a newly emerging arbovirus belonging to the family Flaviviridae and is transmitted to humans by Aedes species mosquitoes. In March 2015, certain regions in the northeast of Brazil were hit particularly hard by an outbreak of rash illness and mild and self-limiting febrile disease; soon, the etiological agent was identified as ZIKV infection. The virus has since spread and touched nearly every corner of the country. Shortly after the initiation of the epidemic, some reports have suggested that ZIKV infection can cause serious sequelae such as microcephaly in newborns of mothers infected with the virus during pregnancy, other congenital abnormalities, fetal death, as well as neurologic complications such as Guillain-Barré syndrome. It is anticipated that ZIKV will continue to spread, particularly in tropical and subtropical regions. The purposes of this chapter are to cover various aspects such as the historical background and current knowledge related to ZIKV infection in Brazil.
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