The widespread global alarm caused by the spread of mosquito-borne Zika virus throughout the Americas in 2015-2016 dissipated after the virus all but disappeared in 2017. Yet, resurgence remains possible in areas where the Aedes aegypti mosquito is prevalent, and there is no treatment or vaccine available for Zika virus infection.

While most Zika-infected adults show no symptoms, the virus can cause minor flu-like symptoms, and in rare cases has been associated with Guillain-Barre syndrome. However, Zika poses the most concern for pregnant women, because up to one in 10 newborns of affected mothers suffer Zika-associated birth defects, including smaller than normal head size (microcephaly) that can lead to developmental disabilities and other health problems. Zika has also been linked to pregnancy complications, including preterm birth, preeclampsia and miscarriage. Moreover, timing appears important. Mothers infected in the first trimester are much more likely to have babies with severe Zika birth defects than mothers infected in the third semester.

The placenta, the organ supplying maternal oxygen and nutrients to the growing fetus, has ways to prevent most pathogens, including viruses, from crossing its protective maternal-fetal barrier. A subtype of fetally-derived placental cells known as syncytiotrophoblasts, in direct contact with maternal blood, are assumed to be the site where the Zika virus enters the placenta, leading to potential fetal infection.

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