CDC: From Fighting Malaria to Combating Zika Virus

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has a long history of combating mosquito-borne illnesses, beginning seventy years before 2016 when it was founded to fight mosquitoes that carried malaria. By 2016, the agency was engaged in a similar struggle against the Zika virus.

On January 22, 2016, the CDC activated its Emergency Operations Center to respond to a widespread Zika outbreak in the Americas. This response followed a significant increase in the number of babies born with microcephaly.

Public Health Contributions and Response

In a report published on December 30, 2016, the CDC highlighted 10 critical contributions made during the first year of its emergency response. These efforts were designed to provide a foundation for continued efforts to fight the disease and reduce the impact of the virus on families and children.

• Issuing travel guidance to warn pregnant women against traveling to areas with Zika
• Publishing clinical guidance for the care of infants, fetuses, and pregnant women
• Identifying the sexual transmission of the Zika virus
• Monitoring the availability and safety of blood
• Developing and distributing reagents and laboratory test kits
• Establishing a causal link between Zika virus infection during pregnancy and serious brain defects and microcephaly
• Analyzing Zika pregnancy surveillance data to understand the full range of health effects for infants and fetuses and the magnitude of the risk
• Improving access to voluntary, reversible contraceptive methods to decrease unintended pregnancies
• Developing new infection control tools
• Establishing new public health surveillance tools

Clinical Impact and Transmission

Zika virus infection often results in no symptoms or only mild symptoms for many people. However, the virus poses serious risks during pregnancy, as it can spread from a pregnant woman to her fetus.

This transmission can lead to serious birth defects, including microcephaly and other serious brain defects, categorized as Congenital Zika Syndrome.

The virus is primarily spread through mosquito bites, but it can also be transmitted sexually. Because of this, the CDC recommends using condoms or abstaining from sex to prevent sexual transmission.

Treatment and Prevention Standards

As of January 31, 2025, there are no medicines to treat Zika virus infection and no vaccines available to prevent it.

Prevention focuses on reducing exposure. This includes protecting oneself from mosquito bites and following sexual health precautions. For those planning to travel or living abroad, the CDC provides recommendations based on specific areas of risk.

Testing is recommended for individuals who have symptoms and have traveled to a risk area or have had sex with someone who traveled to a risk area.

Medical and Safety Considerations

In the United States, Zika is classified as a nationally notifiable disease, meaning suspected cases are reported to health departments.

Public health efforts also extend to the safety of medicinal products. Research indicates that the viral load in plasma-derived medicinal products can be effectively reduced through virus inactivation methods, including filtration, chemicals, detergents, and pasteurization.

Ongoing control strategies include strengthening the monitoring and surveillance of the Zika virus and advising against travel to infected areas to keep the infection under check.