مروری بر بیماری زیکا: تهدیدی تازه برای بهداشت جامعه

Introduction: Zika virus was identified in Uganda in the Zika Forest in 1947. It is a tropical disease transmitted by mosquito which is similar to Dengune virus, the western Nile virus and yellow fever. While the virus does not cause the illness in mosquitoes, feeding mosquitoes from the blood of the patients transmit virus to the healthy subjects. The prevalence of the virus was limited to Africa and Southeast Asia until 2007 and no one paid much attention to it. The virus was spread in one of the Islands of Pacific Ocean called Micronesia, in 2007. The present article reviews the epidemiology, pathogenesis, diagnosis, treatment and prevention strategies for Zika virus. Methods and Materials: This review article has been performed by searching Zika and Zika viruses keywords in various data bases such as SID, Google Scholar, and Magiran. Results: Since Zika virus has been introduced as an urgency by the World Health Organization (IMO)and due to the significance of the topic, this article is concerned on the virus, disease, symptoms, diagnosis, treatment, prevention and counseling strategies for pregnant women and the way they are evaluated. Discussion and Conclusion: The present article examines the ways of transmission, a suitable basis for the development and the prevalence of Zika virus in different countries including our country. Considering the several travels to Brazil, the prevalence of this virus and preventing the outbreak of Zika virus to authorities are advised to provide mobile laboratories at the country’s air terminals to carry out medical examinations and screen the travelers to these countries to avoid other health problems in our country. In conclusion, prevalence is always better than treatment.