Clinical Significance

Zika virus is a member of the virus family Flaviviridae.    It is spread by daytime-active Aedes mosquitoes, such as A. aegypti and A. albopictus.    Its name comes from the Ziika Forest of Uganda, where the virus was first isolated in 1947.    Zika virus shares a genus with the dengue, yellow fever, Japanese encephalitis, and West Nile viruses.

Zika virus is also transmitted from mother to fetus during pregnancy, through sexual contact, transfusion of blood and blood products, and organ transplantation.