• Helen Perry, Asma Khalil, Emma Aarons, Katherine Russell, and Patrick O'Brien.
• Vascular Biology Research Centre, Molecular and Clinical Sciences Research Institute, St George's, University of London, Cranmer Terrace, London SW17 0RE, UK.
• Br. Med. Bull. 2017 Dec 1; 124 (1): 157-169.

Introduction/BackgroundSince 2015, an epidemic of Zika virus spread across the Americas. This coincided with an increased incidence of microcephaly reported at birth in Brazil, with subsequent evidence of a causal association.Sources Of DataSystemic reviews, observational studies, public health organizations.Areas Of AgreementZika virus causes microcephaly and brain abnormalities in infants born to mothers infected during or shortly before pregnancy. Zika virus is a trigger for Guillain Barre Syndrome. Whilst mosquito bite is the main route of transmission, sexual transmission is another confirmed route.Areas Of ControversyUncertainty remains regarding the proportion of Zika-infected pregnancies that will give rise to a significantly affected infant.Growing PointsThe development of a vaccine remains a priority whilst public health efforts continue to educate at risk populations on reducing transmission.Areas Timely For Developing ResearchFollow-up studies of affected infants are vital to inform on prognosis and guide screening programmes of the future.© The Author 2017. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com

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