Resources and Information about the Zika Virus
Zika virus, transmitted to people primarily through the bite of Aedes species mosquito (A. aegypti and A. albopictus), is a member of the Flaviviridae family, which includes medically important human pathogens such as dengue fever, yellow fever, Japanese encephalitis, tick-borne encephalitis, and West Nile viruses. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has concluded that the Zika virus causes severe birth defects, particularly microcephaly, a congenital condition marked by an abnormally small head and incomplete brain development. It has also been linked to Guillain-Barre syndrome (GBS), a rare autoimmune disorder that can cause paralysis.
Other than mosquito control, no approved preventive or therapeutic products are currently available to fight Zika infections. In June 2016, the first potential vaccine for Zika received approval from the FDA to begin Phase I clinical trials. Public health officials recommend avoiding exposure to Zika, delaying pregnancy, and following basic supportive care after infection. Additional information may be found below.
- World Health Organization (WHO) Zika website
- CDC Zika website (latest updates)
- CDC Zika action plan summit (materials, presentations, archived webcast)
- CDC Zika interim response plan (Updated 7/31)
- CDC Zika key messages (Updated 8/2)
- Countries and territories with active transmission
- Estimated range of Aedes mosquitoes (map)
- Case counts in the U.S.
Zika Prevention & Guidance
- Prevention tips
- CDC's Zika prevention infographic
- Zika and pregnancy
- Travel information
- Communication resources (videos, fact sheets, posters and toolkits)
- Interim Guidance for Health Care Providers Caring for Women of Reproductive Age with Possible Zika Virus Exposure (Updated 4/1)
- Interim Guidance for Health Care Providers Caring for Pregnant Women with Possible Zika Virus Exposure (Updated 7/29)
- Interim Guidance for Prevention of Sexual Transmission of Zika Virus (Updated 7/29)
Zika Vaccines & Therapeutics R&D
- Zika vaccine approved for first human testing
- WHO Zika R&D priorities
- WHO Zika product pipeline
- Citeline product pipeline
Zika Vector Control - Genetically Modified Mosquitos
- NYT: New Weapon to Fight Zika: The Mosquito
- MIT Technology Review: Inside the Mosquito Factor That Could Stop Dengue and Zika
- Ted Talk: Hadyn Parry: Re-engineering mosquitos to fight disease
- Popular Science: Genetically Modified Mosquitos Massively Reduce Dengue Fever Risk
- Tampa Bay Times Editorial: Let Pinellas use GMO mosquito to fight Zika
- Press Release: Oxitec Opens Large Scale Mosquito Production Facility in Brazil
- White House Office of Science and Technology Policy: Vector-Control Science and Technology to Manage Zika
Zika Research
- Pan American Health Organization Zika Research Database
- NEJM: "Zika Virus and Birth Defects – Reviewing the Evidence for Causality"
- CDC: "CDC Concludes Zika Causes Microcephaly and Other Birth Defects"
- CDC: “Notes from the Field: Evidence of Zika Virus Infection in Brain and Placental Tissue from Two Congenitally Infected Newborns and Two Fetal Losses – Brazil, 2015”
- CDC MMWR: “Increase in Reported Prevalence of Microcephaly in Infants Born to Women Living in Areas with Confirmed Zika Virus Transmission During the First Trimester of Pregnancy – Brazil, 2015”
- NEJM: “Zika Virus Infection in Pregnant Women in Rio de Janeiro – Preliminary Report”
- CDC MMWR: "Vital Signs: Update on Zika Virus–Associated Birth Defects and Evaluation of All U.S. Infants with Congenital Zika Virus Exposure — U.S. Zika Pregnancy Registry, 2016"
Zika in the News
2016
- CDC MMWR: "Possible Zika Virus Infection Among Pregnant Women – United States and Territories, May 2016" (5/27)
- FDA Voice: "FDA Takes Action against Zika Virus" (7/12)
- CDC MMWR: "Projected Zika Virus Importation and Subsequent Ongoing Transmission after Travel to the 2016 Olympic and Paralympic Games — Country-Specific Assessment, July 2016" (7/13)
- CDC MMWR: "Suspected Female-to-Male Sexual Transmission of Zika Virus — New York City, 2016" (7/15)
- CDC: "CDC assisting Utah investigation of Zika virus infection apparently not linked to travel" (7/18)
- CDC: "Florida investigation links four recent Zika cases to local mosquito-borne virus transmission" (7/29)
- CDC MMWR: "Update: Ongoing Zika Virus Transmission — Puerto Rico, November 1, 2015–July 7, 2016" (8/5)
- HHS: "HHS declares a public health emergency in Puerto Rico in response to Zika outbreak" (8/12)
- CDC MMWR: "Update: Interim Guidance for the Evaluation and Management of Infants with Possible Congenital Zika Virus Infection — United States, August 2016" (8/19)
- CDC MMWR: "Guillain-Barré Syndrome During Ongoing Zika Virus Transmission — Puerto Rico, January 1–July 31, 2016" (8/26)
- CDC MMWR: "Likely Sexual Transmission of Zika Virus from a Man with No Symptoms of Infection — Maryland, 2016" (8/26)
2017