Zika: The Pandemic Threat

Zika, a mosquitoborne viral infection, is the most recent of four arboviruses (arthropodborne viral diseases) that have spread to the Western Hemisphere in the last 20 years. It follows the dengue virus, which became re-established in the 1990s after the failure of mosquito eradication programs; the West Nile virus that emerged in 1999; and chikungunya in 2013. Zika virus has been identified as a cause of congenital microcephaly, a potentially devastating birth defect in which babies are born with small heads and underdeveloped brains. The virus has also been linked to an increase in Guillain-Barrr' syndrome, myelitis, and meningoencephalitis. This CE program will inform and heighten awareness of nurses, advanced practice nurses, physicians, lab professionals, pharmacists, and other healthcare providers about the emergence of Zika virus both in the U.S. and internationally.