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Zika virus, an emerging mosquito-borne Flavivirus, was initially isolated in 1947 from a rhesus monkey in the Zika Forest of Uganda. Zika virus remained a relative obscurity for nearly 70 years until an on-going outbreak started in Brazil in early 2015. Now, it has been spreading throughout the Americas and even expanded to Africa, Southeast Asia, and Oceania. With an increasing number of birth outcomes linked to Zika virus infection, the World Health Organization (WHO) warned the international community about its threat to public health by declaring a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC). Furthermore, substantial evidences indicate that Zika virus can be transmitted through sexual contact and blood transfusion. As a result, it is recommended that the public sector not only establish the strategies for mosquito control but, also, distribute relevant information for travellers to the areas with active Zika virus transmission. This paper aims to prepare the basis for Korea's preventive measures against Zika virus by providing information on the current understanding of the epidemiology, transmission, clinical sequelae, as well as, the future outlook with regard to this disease.
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