Zika in travellers 1947-2017 : a systematic review

Abstract

Travellers contributed substantially to the rapid spread of Zika virus (ZIKV). They act as sentinel and may unmask ongoing ZIKV transmission in countries where outbreaks have not yet been reported. Our objectives were to (i) describe the burden of ZIKV infections in international travellers over time; (ii) estimate the proportion of birth defects as a result of maternal ZIKV infection in travellers; (iii) track the extent of sexual transmission; (iv) summarize ZIKV infections in returning travellers as reported by the GeoSentinel network; and (v) identify countries without reports on local ZIKV transmission where travellers served as sentinel.