O Zika Vírus como desafio para a saúde pública

Abstract

Zika virus can be considered an emerging pathogen that has spread to Oceania and America, causing seasonal outbreaks. In Brazil, the infection was first registered in 2015 in the Northeast area of the country. Although the disease is self-limiting and its symptoms are mild, there are reports of neurological complications associated with Zika Virus in newborns and adults. The consequences of the virus for human health is still a mystery full of questions. Research is of crucial importance for public health, especially in the face of sequelae and a drastic increase in neurological cases. The challenges for public health are enormous, as the number of infected people only increases. This review describes the characteristics of Zika in Brazil and analyzes the methods used in the laboratory diagnosis of the infection. The research sources were scientific articles in Portuguese that refer to cases of Zika infection in the period from 2015 to 2018, related to the descriptors: Zika Virus, Primary Care, Public Health.