Zika Virus Disease: WHO Reports 86 Countries with Transmission Despite No Vaccine or Treatment
Key Facts
- According to WHO, Zika virus transmission has been documented in 86 countries and territories globally, primarily across tropical and subtropical regions of the Americas, Africa, and Asia-Pacific
- WHO data shows the 2015-2016 Zika outbreak in the Americas affected an estimated 1.5 million people, with Brazil reporting over 200,000 suspected cases
- An estimated 2.2 billion people live in areas suitable for Zika virus transmission where the Aedes aegypti mosquito vector is present, WHO reports
- WHO identifies that Zika infection during pregnancy can cause microcephaly—severe brain malformation in infants—with Brazil documenting over 3,700 confirmed microcephaly cases linked to Zika between 2015-2017
- According to WHO, there is currently no vaccine or specific antiviral treatment for Zika virus disease, making prevention of mosquito bites the only protective measure available
When WHO declared Zika virus a Public Health Emergency of International Concern in February 2016, the disease had transformed seemingly overnight from an obscure pathogen causing mild illness into a global health crisis. The catalyst wasn’t the virus itself—Zika had been known since 1947—but the devastating discovery that infection during pregnancy caused catastrophic birth defects including microcephaly and other severe neurological abnormalities. Images of Brazilian infants born with abnormally small heads shocked the world and triggered an international response. But by the time WHO ended the emergency declaration in November 2016, the damage was done: thousands of children born with permanent disabilities, pregnant women living in fear across endemic regions, and a virus now permanently established across the Americas where it had never circulated before. This article examines what WHO’s data reveals about Zika’s current global distribution, why a disease with mostly mild symptoms became a public health emergency, and how global health initiatives are responding to a threat for which no vaccine or treatment exists.
What Is Zika Virus Disease? — WHO’s Definition
According to WHO, Zika virus disease is a mosquito-borne viral infection caused by Zika virus, a flavivirus closely related to dengue, yellow fever, West Nile, and Japanese encephalitis viruses. The disease is primarily transmitted through bites of infected Aedes mosquitoes, particularly Aedes aegypti, the same species that transmits dengue, chikungunya, and yellow fever. WHO’s framework distinguishes Zika from other flavivirus infections by its unique epidemiological profile: most infections (approximately 80%) are asymptomatic or cause only mild symptoms, yet the virus has devastating consequences when transmitted from infected pregnant women to their fetuses.
WHO identifies multiple transmission routes beyond mosquito bites. Vertical transmission from mother to fetus during pregnancy is the most medically significant, causing congenital Zika syndrome—a pattern of severe birth defects. Sexual transmission can occur through vaginal, anal, or oral sex, with virus persisting in semen for months after infection (WHO has documented cases of sexual transmission up to 6 months post-infection). Transmission through blood transfusion is theoretically possible and has been documented, prompting blood safety measures in endemic areas. Perinatal transmission around the time of birth has been reported but appears rare.
The critical public health distinction WHO makes is that Zika’s burden isn’t measured primarily by acute disease cases—the infection itself is usually benign—but by the lifelong disability burden in children born with congenital Zika syndrome and the neurological complications (Guillain-Barré syndrome) in infected adults. This makes Zika fundamentally different from diseases like dengue where acute disease severity drives health impact. Zika’s threat is invisible: mild or no symptoms in infected individuals but catastrophic consequences for the unborn.
Global Burden
WHO reports that Zika virus transmission has been documented in 86 countries and territories globally as of 2024, though active transmission intensity varies substantially. The geographic distribution spans three WHO regions primarily: the Americas (where most documented cases have occurred), Africa (where Zika circulates but is often undetected), and Western Pacific/Southeast Asia (where sporadic outbreaks occur). According to WHO’s Zika situation reports (https://www.who.int/emergencies/situations/zika-virus-outbreak), the virus is now considered endemic across much of tropical and subtropical Americas, a dramatic shift from pre-2015 when Zika was absent from the Western Hemisphere.
The 2015-2016 epidemic in the Americas represents the largest documented Zika outbreak in history. WHO data shows an estimated 1.5 million cases across the region, though true burden was certainly higher given that most infections are asymptomatic and testing capacity was limited. Brazil was the epicenter, reporting over 200,000 suspected cases and becoming the first country to identify the link between Zika infection during pregnancy and microcephaly in newborns. The outbreak spread rapidly across Latin America and the Caribbean—Colombia, Venezuela, Honduras, El Salvador, and Puerto Rico all documented thousands of cases.
The congenital Zika syndrome burden is profound. Brazil documented over 3,700 confirmed cases of microcephaly and other central nervous system malformations linked to Zika infection between 2015-2017, according to WHO surveillance data. These represent only the most severe, clinically obvious cases detected at birth—longitudinal studies are revealing that many children exposed to Zika in utero but appearing normal at birth develop neurological, vision, and hearing problems as they grow. The full disability burden will take decades to quantify as this cohort ages.
Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS) risk increased substantially during Zika outbreaks. WHO data from French Polynesia’s 2013-2014 Zika outbreak—the first to document the GBS association—showed an estimated 24-fold increase in GBS incidence during the outbreak period. Similar patterns occurred in the Americas during 2015-2016. Research published in The Lancet (https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(16)00562-6/fulltext) estimated that Zika infection increases GBS risk by 60-100 times compared to baseline, though absolute risk remains low (approximately 2.4 per 10,000 Zika infections).
African burden is likely underestimated. WHO acknowledges that Zika has circulated in Africa since at least 1947 (when the virus was first isolated in Uganda), yet case reporting is minimal. This reflects limited surveillance and diagnostic capacity, not absence of disease. Serological surveys suggest widespread historical Zika circulation across tropical Africa. The lack of documented large outbreaks or microcephaly clusters may reflect partial population immunity from endemic circulation, diagnostic confusion with dengue (which causes similar symptoms and cocirculates in many areas), or underdetection of birth defects in settings with limited prenatal and neonatal healthcare.
Asia-Pacific transmission occurs sporadically. Singapore documented a significant outbreak in 2016. Thailand, Vietnam, and Philippines have reported cases. But again, surveillance limitations mean true burden is uncertain. The pattern mirrors the broader challenge with arboviral diseases: just as dengue has exploded to 14 million cases in 2024, climbing faster than any other infectious disease, Zika demonstrates how mosquito-borne viruses can emerge rapidly in new geographies when vector and human populations align.
Population at risk is massive. WHO estimates 2.2 billion people live in areas where Aedes aegypti mosquitoes are present, creating potential for Zika transmission. But actual risk depends on multiple factors: virus circulation (absent in many areas with competent vectors), population immunity (unknown in most regions), vector density and biting rates, and individual protective behaviors. Pregnant women represent the highest-consequence risk group regardless of geography—any Zika-endemic area poses risk of congenital infection.
Causes, Transmission and Risk Factors
Zika virus is a single-stranded RNA virus in the genus Flavivirus, family Flaviviridae. Phylogenetic analysis shows two major lineages: African and Asian, with the Asian lineage responsible for all recent epidemics including the 2015-2016 Americas outbreak. The virus’s genetic similarity to other flaviviruses creates diagnostic challenges—cross-reactive antibodies make serological testing difficult to interpret in areas where dengue or other flaviviruses cocirculate.
Vector-borne transmission through Aedes aegypti mosquitoes is the primary route. WHO data shows this urban-adapted mosquito thrives in tropical and subtropical climates, breeding in artificial containers near human habitation. The mosquitoes are daytime biters (peak activity morning and late afternoon), bringing them into contact with people during active hours. After biting an infected person during the viremic period (when virus circulates in blood, typically 3-10 days post-infection), mosquitoes become infectious after an extrinsic incubation period of 8-12 days and remain infectious for life.
Sexual transmission distinguishes Zika from most other arboviruses. WHO reports that virus persists in semen substantially longer than in blood—documented up to 6 months post-infection in some cases, though typically shorter. Vaginal fluids can also contain virus but for shorter durations. According to CDC Zika guidance (https://www.cdc.gov/zika/prevention/index.html), sexual transmission has been documented male-to-female, female-to-male, and male-to-male. This transmission route has profound implications: travelers infected in endemic areas can transmit virus sexually upon return to non-endemic areas, and pregnant women can be infected by partners weeks or months after the partner’s acute infection has resolved.
Mother-to-fetus transmission occurs when pregnant women are infected—virus crosses the placenta and infects developing fetal tissues, particularly neural tissue. WHO’s analysis shows infection can occur at any stage of pregnancy, though first-trimester infections appear most likely to cause severe microcephaly. The mechanism involves direct viral damage to developing brain cells and disruption of brain development pathways. Research published in Nature (https://www.nature.com/articles/nature18296) demonstrated that Zika virus preferentially infects neural progenitor cells—the cells responsible for building the developing brain—killing them and disrupting cortical development.
Risk factors WHO identifies include living in or traveling to areas with active Zika transmission (particularly concerning for pregnant women), unprotected sex with someone who has traveled to endemic areas, lack of access to mosquito bite prevention (screens, repellents, protective clothing), and environmental conditions that support mosquito breeding (inadequate water storage, poor waste management, urban settings with abundant artificial containers).
The pregnancy timing question is critical. WHO initially recommended women in endemic areas consider delaying pregnancy during outbreaks—unprecedented guidance that sparked ethical debates about reproductive autonomy, access to contraception, and abortion in contexts where these services are restricted. Countries including El Salvador and Brazil saw ongoing debates about whether public health messaging should include pregnancy delay recommendations when many women lack access to reliable contraception or safe abortion services.
Climate and urbanization drive transmission risk. Aedes aegypti distribution is expanding with warming temperatures and increasing urbanization in tropical regions. Research in PLOS Neglected Tropical Diseases (https://journals.plos.org/plosntds/article?id=10.1371/journal.pntd.0005568) projects that climate change will expand suitable Aedes habitat, potentially exposing additional populations in previously unsuitable areas to Zika and other Aedes-borne viruses.
Signs, Symptoms and Health Impacts
WHO identifies that approximately 80% of Zika virus infections are asymptomatic—infected individuals never know they were infected. Among the 20% who develop symptoms, the clinical presentation is usually mild: low-grade fever, maculopapular rash (flat red spots or small bumps), conjunctivitis (red eyes), joint pain (particularly small joints of hands and feet), muscle pain, and headache. Symptoms typically last 2-7 days and resolve without treatment. Hospitalization is rare for uncomplicated Zika.
This benign clinical profile is precisely what made Zika so insidious during the early phase of the Americas outbreak. People experienced mild symptoms resembling dengue or chikungunya (also circulating in the region), recovered quickly, and had no reason to suspect they’d been infected with a pathogen that could devastate fetal development. Pregnant women infected during asymptomatic infections had no way to know they’d been exposed until birth defects became apparent at delivery or later in childhood.
Congenital Zika syndrome represents the most devastating health impact. WHO defines this as a pattern of birth defects caused by Zika virus infection during pregnancy, including: severe microcephaly (small head circumference reflecting underdeveloped brain), decreased brain tissue with specific pattern of brain damage, damage to back of eye, congenital contractures (joints with limited range of motion), and hypertonia (increased muscle tone). According to WHO’s congenital Zika syndrome guidance (https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/WHO-ZIKV-MOC-16.7-eng), these abnormalities result from direct viral destruction of developing neural tissue and represent permanent disabilities requiring lifelong care.
The neurological impact extends beyond obvious microcephaly. WHO reports that some children exposed to Zika in utero appear normal at birth but develop vision problems, hearing loss, impaired growth, and seizures as they develop. Longitudinal cohort studies tracking Zika-exposed children in Brazil are revealing that the spectrum of congenital Zika syndrome is broader than initially recognized—milder exposures or later-pregnancy infections may cause subtle developmental delays not apparent until months or years after birth.
Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS) is the other major complication WHO has documented. This rare neurological disorder, in which the immune system attacks peripheral nerves, causes progressive muscle weakness that can progress to paralysis and respiratory failure requiring ventilation. WHO surveillance during Zika outbreaks showed GBS incidence increased dramatically in affected populations. Most GBS patients recover over weeks to months, but approximately 5% die from complications and 20% have residual weakness. The biological mechanism linking Zika to GBS isn’t fully understood but likely involves molecular mimicry—antibodies generated against Zika virus cross-react with nerve tissue.
Other neurological complications have been reported but are less well-characterized. These include meningoencephalitis, myelitis, and acute disseminated encephalomyelitis. Case reports suggest these are rare but add to the neurological disease spectrum associated with Zika.
The psychological burden on pregnant women in endemic areas is substantial but rarely quantified. WHO has documented increased anxiety, depression, and stress among pregnant women during Zika outbreaks—living with the fear that a mosquito bite could condemn their unborn child to lifelong disability. For families of children born with congenital Zika syndrome, the burden is immense: intensive medical care, therapies, educational support needs, and the emotional toll of caring for a severely disabled child, often in settings with minimal social services or financial support.
Treatment and Health Response
WHO reports there is no specific antiviral treatment for Zika virus disease—management is entirely supportive, focused on relieving symptoms. For uncomplicated Zika, this means rest, fluids, and fever/pain management with acetaminophen (paracetamol). WHO recommends avoiding aspirin and other NSAIDs until dengue can be ruled out, as these medications increase bleeding risk in dengue and clinical differentiation between Zika and dengue is difficult in co-endemic areas.
For pregnant women with confirmed or suspected Zika exposure, WHO’s clinical guidelines emphasize close monitoring through serial ultrasounds to detect fetal abnormalities, particularly microcephaly and brain malformations. But access to prenatal ultrasound is limited in many endemic areas, leaving pregnant women without information about whether their fetus has been affected. Even when ultrasound is available, interpretation requires expertise often lacking in resource-limited settings, and detection of milder abnormalities may be missed.
Management of congenital Zika syndrome requires multidisciplinary care that’s largely unavailable in most endemic settings. WHO’s guidance includes early intervention programs, physical and occupational therapy, vision and hearing support, seizure management, nutritional support for feeding difficulties, and psychosocial support for families. But these services exist primarily in high-income countries. In the regions most affected by Zika—low- and middle-income countries in Latin America—health systems often lack pediatric neurologists, developmental specialists, or rehabilitation services. Families are left to manage severe disabilities with minimal professional support.
Guillain-Barré syndrome management requires intensive medical care: monitoring for respiratory failure (mechanical ventilation may be needed), immunotherapy (intravenous immunoglobulin or plasmapheresis), supportive care to prevent complications of immobility, and prolonged rehabilitation. WHO reports that GBS treatment outcomes depend critically on timely access to intensive care, which is unavailable in many endemic regions. Case-fatality rates for GBS in resource-limited settings may be higher than the 5% global average.
Diagnostic challenges complicate clinical management. Zika virus can be detected by PCR in blood or urine during acute infection (first week of symptoms), but testing requires laboratory infrastructure often absent in endemic areas. Serological testing (antibody detection) is hampered by cross-reactivity with dengue and other flaviviruses—a positive antibody test may reflect past dengue infection rather than Zika. According to WHO’s Zika diagnostic testing guidance (https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/WHO-ZIKV-LAB-16.1-Rev.1), confirmatory testing may require specialized neutralization assays available only in reference laboratories.
Blood safety measures were implemented rapidly during the 2015-2016 outbreak to prevent transfusion transmission. WHO recommendations include screening donated blood in Zika-affected areas using nucleic acid testing (NAT) when available, or deferring donations from individuals with recent travel to endemic areas or recent Zika symptoms. But NAT testing capacity is limited in many endemic countries, creating difficult tradeoffs between blood safety and blood supply adequacy.
The absence of treatment creates a care gap fundamentally different from diseases where antivirals or therapeutics exist. For Zika, prevention is the only intervention—once infected, there’s nothing to do but wait for the virus to clear and hope for the best. For pregnant women, this helplessness is particularly distressing.
Prevention and WHO Strategies
WHO frames Zika prevention around mosquito bite avoidance and prevention of sexual transmission, since no vaccine is available despite significant research efforts. Vector control strategies mirror those for dengue, yellow fever, and chikungunya: source reduction (eliminating mosquito breeding sites in artificial containers), larviciding of water storage containers, indoor residual spraying with insecticides, use of insecticide-treated bed nets and window screens, and community mobilization for environmental management.
Personal protection measures WHO recommends include wearing long-sleeved clothing and long pants, using EPA-registered insect repellents (DEET, picaridin, IR3535, oil of lemon eucalyptus), and staying in air-conditioned or well-screened accommodations. For pregnant women in endemic areas, WHO emphasizes these measures are the only available protection against Zika infection. But compliance is challenging—wearing long sleeves in tropical heat, consistently applying repellent multiple times daily, and accessing/affording repellents and protective clothing are barriers for many.
Prevention of sexual transmission requires condom use or abstinence for periods WHO has specified based on transmission risk duration. Current guidance recommends couples use condoms or abstain for at least 3 months after return from Zika-endemic areas if the male partner was potentially exposed, and for the duration of pregnancy if either partner has confirmed Zika infection or traveled to endemic areas. For pregnant women, this extends throughout pregnancy to prevent any risk of sexual transmission to the fetus.
Travel advisories were a controversial prevention strategy during the 2015-2016 outbreak. Some countries advised pregnant women to avoid travel to Zika-affected areas. The US CDC issued unprecedented guidance recommending pregnant women postpone non-essential travel to Zika-endemic regions. WHO stopped short of blanket travel restrictions but emphasized travel risk communication and personal protection for pregnant travelers. The International Health Regulations framework (https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/9789241580496) governing WHO’s authority in disease control doesn’t support travel bans for endemic diseases affecting large populations, as addressed in discussions about legal frameworks for managing cross-border health risks.
Vaccine development has been a priority but remains incomplete. Multiple candidates entered clinical trials following the 2015-2016 outbreak, including DNA vaccines, mRNA vaccines, and live-attenuated vaccines. But development slowed after outbreak intensity declined—commercial incentive disappeared when case numbers dropped, and sustained research funding proved difficult to maintain. As of 2024, no Zika vaccine has completed licensure. The pattern mirrors other arboviral vaccine development: dengue vaccines took decades despite massive disease burden, and chikungunya still lacks a licensed vaccine despite causing millions of cases.
Pregnancy planning and contraception access became central to Zika prevention discussions. WHO and PAHO guidance emphasized ensuring access to contraception and reproductive health services for women in endemic areas who wished to delay pregnancy. But this bumped against political and religious resistance to contraception in many affected countries, inadequate family planning service infrastructure, and the ethical complexity of public health messaging that essentially tells women in poverty with minimal reproductive control to delay childbearing.
Integrated vector management is WHO’s recommended approach—combining multiple complementary interventions rather than relying on a single method. But implementation is resource-intensive and politically challenging. Vector control programs were dismantled or defunded in many Latin American countries in recent decades, contributing to Aedes mosquito resurgence that enabled rapid Zika spread. Rebuilding this infrastructure requires sustained financing and political commitment that competes with other health priorities.
WHO’s Global Efforts and the PHEIC Response
WHO’s Zika response began slowly, then accelerated dramatically. When cases emerged in Brazil in 2015, initial response was limited—Zika was considered a mild disease of little public health significance. The turning point came in late 2015 when Brazil reported an alarming spike in microcephaly cases coinciding with Zika’s spread. By January 2016, WHO convened its Emergency Committee, and on February 1, 2016, declared Zika a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC)—only the fourth time this mechanism had been used since the International Health Regulations 2005 came into force.
The PHEIC declaration triggered international response. WHO issued temporary recommendations including enhanced surveillance, risk communication to pregnant women and women of childbearing age, vector control intensification, and travel guidance. Research funding accelerated—the US alone committed over $1 billion to Zika research and response. Diagnostic test development and deployment expanded. Epidemiological studies to characterize congenital Zika syndrome were prioritized.
But critics argued WHO’s response was too slow. The virus had been spreading in Brazil for months before international attention focused. Some public health experts contended that had WHO acted more decisively earlier, the outbreak could have been contained before millions were infected. The debate mirrored criticisms of WHO’s delayed response to the 2014 West Africa Ebola outbreak—institutional caution and bureaucratic processes that prioritize not causing unnecessary alarm can delay action when rapid response is needed.
WHO ended the PHEIC declaration in November 2016, not because Zika transmission had stopped but because the outbreak’s acute emergency phase had passed and response needed to transition from emergency mode to sustained management of an endemic disease. This created confusion—some interpreted the ending of the PHEIC as meaning Zika was no longer a threat, when in fact the virus had simply become permanently established in the Americas and risk remained ongoing.
Long-term monitoring and research priorities WHO identified include tracking congenital Zika syndrome cohorts to characterize the full spectrum of developmental impacts, understanding Zika persistence and recrudescence potential, improving diagnostics to distinguish Zika from dengue, and supporting affected families through health and social services. But funding and attention declined substantially after 2017 as Zika transmission decreased and media attention shifted elsewhere.
Regional coordination efforts continue through PAHO in the Americas, which maintains Zika surveillance and provides technical guidance to member states. But surveillance intensity has decreased in many countries as Zika became routine rather than emergency, creating data gaps about ongoing transmission patterns. The risk is that declining surveillance masks ongoing transmission until the next major outbreak triggers renewed attention.
Vaccine and therapeutic research continues at reduced intensity. WHO maintains a Zika vaccine development pipeline review and coordinates with researchers, but commercial development has largely stalled. The challenge is familiar from other disease areas: market failure for diseases primarily affecting low- and middle-income populations without purchasing power to incentivize commercial development. Unless public or philanthropic funding sustains development through licensure, a Zika vaccine may remain perpetually “in development” despite technical feasibility.
The editorial question WHO’s Zika response raises is whether global health governance can shift from crisis-driven reactive response to sustained proactive management of endemic threats. Zika demonstrated this pattern perfectly: obscurity, then sudden emergency, massive short-term response, then declining attention as crisis fades—leaving affected populations to manage long-term consequences with inadequate support. From world history to contemporary outbreaks, we’ve seen this cycle repeatedly. The disease that went from nowhere to everywhere captures Zika’s trajectory—and suggests we haven’t learned how to prevent it from happening again with the next emerging pathogen.
Thousands of children are growing up with disabilities from congenital Zika syndrome in Latin America, often in families with minimal resources and communities with inadequate services. Their needs will persist for decades. Will international support continue, or will these children become invisible as attention moves to the next health crisis? The answer will reveal whether global health solidarity extends beyond acute emergencies to include long-term commitment to affected communities. Similar to sustained campaigns that maintain focus on ongoing health challenges, as exemplified by initiatives like World Cancer Day awareness efforts, managing Zika’s legacy requires treating it as a chronic concern rather than an emergency that’s passed—a shift in approach that global health systems have historically struggled to make.
FAQ
What is Zika virus and how is it transmitted?
WHO defines Zika as a mosquito-borne viral infection caused by Zika virus (a flavivirus) primarily transmitted through bites of infected Aedes aegypti mosquitoes. The virus can also spread through sexual contact (male-to-female, female-to-male, male-to-male), from mother to fetus during pregnancy, potentially through blood transfusion, and perinatally around birth. Approximately 80% of infections are asymptomatic.
What are the birth defects caused by Zika infection during pregnancy?
WHO identifies congenital Zika syndrome as a pattern of severe birth defects including microcephaly (abnormally small head and underdeveloped brain), brain damage with specific patterns, eye damage, congenital joint contractures, and increased muscle tone. Brazil documented over 3,700 confirmed microcephaly cases linked to Zika between 2015-2017. Children may also develop vision, hearing, seizure, and developmental problems not apparent at birth.
Is there a vaccine or treatment for Zika virus?
No. WHO reports there is currently no licensed vaccine for Zika virus despite multiple candidates in development. There is also no specific antiviral treatment—management is supportive (rest, fluids, pain relief with acetaminophen). Prevention through mosquito bite avoidance and condom use to prevent sexual transmission are the only protective measures available. Several vaccine candidates entered trials after 2015-2016 but none have completed licensure.
How many countries have reported Zika transmission and who is at risk?
WHO reports Zika transmission has been documented in 86 countries and territories globally, concentrated in tropical and subtropical Americas, Africa, and Asia-Pacific regions. An estimated 2.2 billion people live in areas where Aedes aegypti mosquitoes are present, creating potential for transmission. Pregnant women face the highest-consequence risk due to severe birth defects from congenital infection.
What is Guillain-Barré syndrome and how is it linked to Zika?
WHO identifies Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS) as a rare neurological disorder where the immune system attacks peripheral nerves, causing progressive muscle weakness and potential paralysis. Zika infection increases GBS risk by 60-100 times (though absolute risk remains low at ~2.4 per 10,000 infections). French Polynesia and Americas outbreaks showed dramatic GBS incidence increases during Zika transmission. Most patients recover but 5% die and 20% have residual weakness.
Sources
- World Health Organization. (2024). Zika virus disease. Retrieved from https://www.who.int/health-topics/zika-virus-disease
- World Health Organization. (2018). Zika virus fact sheet. Retrieved from https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/zika-virus
- Rasmussen, S.A., et al. (2016). Zika virus and birth defects—reviewing the evidence for causality. New England Journal of Medicine, 374(20), 1981-1987.
- Cao-Lormeau, V.M., et al. (2016). Guillain-Barré syndrome outbreak associated with Zika virus infection in French Polynesia. The Lancet, 387(10027), 1531-1539.
DISCLAIMER
This article adapts publicly available information from WHO’s Zika Virus Disease page. This content is for informational and educational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. ObserverVoice.com is a news and information platform—not a healthcare provider.
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