ZIKV infection in pregnancy.

Introduction/objective. Zika virus (ZIKV) is a dangerous infectious agent, due to its potential to cause severe teratogenic results, especially an abnormal brain development – microcephaly. It is also well known that the most common geographical areas for the transmission of this disease are South and Central America, South Asia, the Pacific region and, in particular, the United Kingdom, which is contracted by mosquito bites. Methodology. For this paper, we consulted studies in the literature and selected the essential information on the complications of this infection. Results. Pregnant women are advised to avoid traveling to these areas or contraception for three months after returning from one of these regions. Like other agents, ZIKV can be transmitted vertically through the placenta during pregnancy, with potentially harmful consequences for the fetus. The easy clinical presentation made it difficult to establish a case definition for ZIKV infection in pregnant women. Zika virus infections during pregnancy are mainly identified using nucleic acid amplification and serological tests. Discussion and conclusions. While highly sensitive and specific laboratory diagnostic tests will improve the identification of maternal ZIKV infection before severe fetal abnormalities occur, there are currently no antivirals available to prevent the vertical transmission of Zika virus to humans. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]