| dc.description.abstract | Background. Zika virus (ZIKV), an arthropod-borne virus in the genus Flavivirus, spread by Aedes mosquito vectors, has
become a serious threat for human populations living in epidemic settings and for international travelers, due to its highly
probable ability to cause microcephaly and neurologic disorders, an epidemiologic situation which has conducted the
World Health Organization to declare a public health emergency of international concern on February 1, 2016.
Importantly, the presentation of the infection as a predominantly asymptomatic disease makes ZIKV difficult to control. In
La Réunion island, where Aedes albopictus has gained superior competitive ability relative to Aedes aegypti, the interests
of the scientific community and public health stakeholders have converged for preparing an integrative response to the
possible emergence of the ZIKV. Perinatal transmission of ZIKV has been deemed the topic of interest and the cohort
study the design of choice, owing to the need for quality data, internationally recognized experience on maternal-fetal
transmission of Chikungunya virus, a decade for refining the surveillance system, and recent capacity building in clinical
and translational research, enabling the possibility of new observations in this competitive area. | en_US |
