Zika crisis in Brazil: challenges in research and development

- ZIKV is an emerging flavivirus that may cause neurological syndromes in humans.
- Reliable diagnosis of ZIKV infections is a major challenge in the field.
- There is no specific treatment or vaccine available against ZIKV.
- A treatment for ZIKV infection must account for treating pregnant women.
- A joint effort of the research community is necessary for fast progress.

Infection with the Zika virus (ZIKV) usually causes a mild acute illness, but two major severe syndromes have been described during the epidemic in Brazil: microcephaly and the Guillain-Barré Syndrome. There is now much evidence to show that ZIKV can infect and damage neuronal cells in vitro. In experimental animals, ZIKV has significant neurotropism and can cause brain damage. At present, diagnosis is still a challenge in the field and there is no treatment available. Another major challenge is that one must devise therapies for pregnant women, at all stages of pregnancy. Devising adequate treatment for ZIKV infections represents a challenge that will only be met by the joint effort of the research community.