Zika Virus from the Perspective of Observational Studies: a Review

BACKGROUND: Since 1952 when Zika Virus (ZIKV): a Flavivirus, was first discovered in humans, it has not received enough scientific research compared to some of the other members of the family Flaviviridae; like Dengue Virus (DENV). However, this has not stopped the virus from infecting the human population globally. In particular, the global spread of ZIKV has led to a surge in observational studies. METHODS: Regarding recently published ZIKV-related literature, we are not aware of any reviews strictly focusing on ZIKV from the perspective of observational studies. Therefore, we reviewed recently published observational studies exploring the global spread of ZIKV and its association with Congenital ZIKV Infection (CZI) and clinical manifestations in adults. Online databases including google scholar, PubMed and Elsevier were used for retrieving relevant studies. RESULTS: ZIKV cases have been reported in different parts of the world, with certain regions reporting more cases than the rest, like Brazil. ZIKV causes a wide spectrum of diseases and disorders including microcephaly, developmental disorders, and Guillain-Barre syndrome to name a few. Furthermore, CZI in neonates mainly manifests into neurological disorders and diseases, whereas ZIKV in adults’ targets various organs. CONCLUSION: ZIKV poses a serious threat to human population and observational studies provide a different perspective on the damaging capabilities of ZIKV in real-life settings. Moreover, there are gaps in the literature regarding ZIKV-related-complications that future experimental studies need to address. These complications include in-utero transmission, Guillain-Barre syndrome, cross-reactivity, sexual transmission, along with its persistence in the male reproductive tract.