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Zika virus was initially discovered in 1947 when the Rockefeller Foundation was conducting research on Jungle Yellow Fever in Rhesus Monkeys. The virus earns its’ name from the Zika Forest located in Uganda where the study was taking place. In 1952, Zika virus was discovered in humans both in Uganda and the United Republic of Tanzania.

Researchers have traced the virus to the mosquito species Aedes aegypti as the primary carrier of the virus in subtropical and tropical regions, however the virus has been known to survive in the Aedes albopictus mosquito which can withstand cooler temperatures. Initially,  Zika virus was primarily identified in Africa and Asia and had a history of sporadic cases. Currently, it has made recent headlines with the outbreaks occurring in the Americas and the Pacific.

Women who are pregnant and live in these regions or have recently traveled to these regions may possibly become infected with this virus during their pregnancy. Given these circumstances, the mother could potentially give birth to a child with microcephaly.  

Microcephaly is a birth defect that causes the baby’s head to be smaller than babies of the same age and sex. Here in the United States, the occurrence of this condition ranges from 2 to 12 cases per 10,000 live births. Most recent data shows that in the country of Brazil, there have been approximately 3,174 cases of microcephaly reported. The numbers of microcephaly births is constantly changing, and while there has been an increasing concurrence of babies with microcephaly born to women who have been infected by the virus; an absolute link between the two has not yet been proven.

 

The outlook of Zika virus and its potential to spread is unknown; however, there are several efforts being made to learn more about the virus in order to properly educate the public as well as prevent further transmission of the virus.