Zika Virus Potentiates the Development of Neurological Defects and Microcephaly: Challenges and Control Strategies

Abstract

Since the beginning of the Zika Virus (ZIKV) epidemic, thousands of cases presenting ZIKV symptoms were recorded in Brazil, Colombia (South America), French Polynesia and other countries of Central and North America. In Brazil, during ZIKV outbreak thousands of microcephaly cases occurred that caused a state of urgency among scientists and researchers to confirm the suspected association between ZIKV infection and microcephaly. In this review article we comprehensively studied scientific literature to analyze ZIKV relationship with microcephaly, recent experimental studies, challenge and shortcomings in previously published reports to know about the current status of this association. The evidences supporting the association of ZIKV infection with congenital microcephaly and fetal brain tissue damage is rapidly increasing, and supplying recent information about pathology, clinical medicine, epidemiology, mechanism and experimental studies. However, serious attention is required toward ZIKV vaccine development, standardization of anthropometric techniques, centralization of data, and advance research to clearly understand the mechanism of ZIKV infection causing microcephaly.

Neurodevelopmental Disorders (NDDs) in Children: Role of Maternal Factors

“…Zika virus may cause acute neurological lesions (including septal and colossal disruption, abnormal neuronal migration, cerebellar hypoplasia), brain calcifications, degenerative changes in neuronal and glial cells, gliosis, necrosis, white matter and decline axonal rarefaction. 46 It is estimated that around 60% of all pregnant women experience at least one infection while pregnant. However, infections such as influenza, urinary tract infections, vaginal infections, upper respiratory tract infections, and diarrhea are all very common during pregnancy.…”

ZIKV Inhibitors Based on Pyrazolo[3,4-d]pyridazine-7-one Core: Rational Design, In Vitro Evaluation, and Theoretical Studies

“…ZIKV (Zika virus) is thought to cause birth defects as well as neurological problems . Currently, there are no medicines or vaccines against ZIKV or specific antiviral treatments for clinical ZIKV infection. , Therefore, the development of new antivirus compounds that are effective, selective, and safe has been extremely necessary and urgent. In our previous research on bioactive heterocyclic compounds, berberine and benzimidazole derivatives were synthesized and exhibited a potential Zika antivirus with a selectivity index (SI) value greater than 10 and the half-maximal effective concentration (EC 50 ) of 1.9–48.3 μM. , In this study, we conducted works on heterocyclics and an assessment of their antiviral activity.…”

Congenital Zika Virus Syndrome: care in light of the Brazilian Unified Health System principles

“…Regarding the central theme of the study, the literature presents a wide approach on the mechanism of infection, diagnosis and prevention for ZIKV, in addition to the epidemiological and clinical characteristics of the syndrome (9)(10)(11)(12) . In a more subjective context, studies with a qualitative approach, for the most part, explore the experiences of women diagnosed with ZIKV infection during pregnancy and the feelings experienced by them in the care of children with CZS (13)(14)(15)(16) .…”