Zika Virus Overview: Transmission, Origin, Pathogenesis, Animal Model and Diagnosis

Zika virus (ZIKV) was first discovered in 1947 in Uganda. ZIKV did not receive substantial attention until Brazil hosted the 2016 Summer Olympic Games, and ZIKV reached a global audience. ZIKV is a flavivirus transmitted chiefly through mosquito bites, sexual intercourse and, to a lesser extent, breastfeeding. The recent discovery of how ZIKV causes congenital neurodevelopmental defects, including microcephaly, has led to reevaluation of the importance of the interaction of ZIKV with centrosome organization, because centrosomes play an important role in cell division. When ZIKV disrupts centrosome organization and mitotic abnormalities, neural progenitor differentiation is altered, thereby resulting in cell cycle arrest, increased apoptosis and inhibition of neural progenitor cell differentiation; subsequently, abnormalities in neural cell development can result in microcephaly. To aid in the understanding of the importance of ZIKV infection, this review article provides an overview of its history, transmission routes, pathogenesis, animal models and diagnosis.