The History of Zika Virus 1947 Scientists identify a new virus in a rhesus monkey in the Zika forest of Uganda - named as the Zika virus . 1 Credit : EPA / STR 1948 The virus is then recovered from the mosquito Aedes africanus , caught in the Zika forest . 1 , 2 Image credit : C . Goldsmith / CDCCaption : This image of the Zika virus was taken using a transmission electron microscope . 1952 The first human cases of Zika are detected in Uganda and the United Republic of Tanzania . 31964 A researcher in Uganda is infected with Zika while working on the virus confirming that Zika virus causes human disease . He reports the illness as " mild ". 4 Read the article in the Weekly Epidemiological RecordImage source : WHO 11 November 2015 Brazil declares a national public health emergency as cases of suspected microcephaly continue to increase . Image source : EPA ( 52583549 ) Caption : Leticia de Araujo holding her daughter , one - month - old Manuelly Araujo da Cruz , who was born with microcephaly after being exposed to the Zika virus during her mother ' s pregnancy , in Rio de Janeiro , Brazil . The mother says that it is possible to raise her daughter in a completely normal way . 17 November 2015 WHO / PAHO issue an epidemiological alert asking countries to report increases of congenital microcephaly and other central nervous system malformations . Brazil reports the detection of Zika virus in amniotic fluid samples from 2 pregnant women , whose fetuses were confirmed by ultrasound examinations to have microcephaly . Credit : WHO / PAHO 28 November 2015 Brazil detects Zika virus genome in the blood and tissue samples of a baby with microcephaly and other congenital anomalies ; the baby died within 5 minutes of birth . Brazil reports 3 deaths among 2 adults and a newborn associated with Zika infection . 30 November 2015 WHO / PAHO go on mission to Brazil to review epidemiological information and clinical data , provide input on a case - control study , and assess lab capacity and infrastructure . Image source : WHO / AMRO / D . SpitzDecember 2015 In the month of December Panama , Honduras , French Guiana , Martinique and the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico all report lab confirmed cases of locally acquired Zika infection . Image source : WHO 1 December 2015 WHO / PAHO issue an alert on the association of Zika virus infection with neurological syndrome and congenital malformations in the Americas . The alert includes guidelines for laboratory detection of the virus . 37 Image source : EPA / D . BockwoldtJanuary 2016 In the month of January the Maldives reports that a Finnish national who worked in the country became ill upon his return to Finland , where he tested positive , by PCR , for Zika infection . Guyana , Ecuador , Barbados , The Plurinational State of Bolivia , Haiti , Saint Martin , The Dominican Republic , St . Croix ( U . S . Virgin Islands ) , Nicaragua , Curacao , Jamaica all report lab confirmed cases of locally acquired Zika infection . Zika virus infection - Disease outbreak news : http : / / who . int / csr / don / archive / disease / zika - virus - infection / en / Image source : WHO 5 January 2016 Researchers report the first diagnoses of intrauterine transmission of the Zika virus in 2 pregnant women in Brazil whose fetuses were diagnosed with microcephaly , including severe brain abnormalities , by ultrasound . Although tests of blood samples from both women are negative , Zika virus is detected in amniotic fluid . syndrome have been registered by hospitals between January and November 2015 . Most states reporting cases are experiencing simultaneous outbreaks of Zika , chikungunya , and dengue . Image source : WHO / PAHO 27 January 2016 French Polynesia reports retrospective data on its Zika outbreak , which coincided with a dengue outbreak . During the outbreak , 42 cases of Guillain - Barre ' syndrome were diagnosed - a 20 - fold increase over previous years . All 42 cases tested positive for Zika and dengue . The investigation concluded that successive dengue and Zika virus infections might be a predisposing factor for developing Guillain - Barre ' syndrome . Image source : WHOFebruary 2016 In the month of February Samoa , Bonaire , Aruba , Trinidad and Tobago , Sint Maarten , Saint Vincent and the Grenadines , and Argentina all report cases of Zika infection . Image source : WHO / PAHO 1 February 2016 WHO declares that the recent association of Zika infection with clusters of microcephaly and other neurological disorders constitutes a Public Health Emergency of International Concern . syndrome , beginning in 2015 , with 10 cases of Guillain - Barre ' syndrome positive for Zika . Image source : WHO / N . AlexanderCaption : A risk communication workshop in Suriname brought together representatives of the health sector and emergency response to speed up the development of a risk communication strategy for Zika virus response . on this image , participants discuss the groups of people who are most vulnerable to Zika and how to best reach them . 10 February 2016 A case report describes severe fetal brain injury associated with Zika virus infection in a woman who became pregnant in Brazil in February 2015 . No virus or pathological changes were found in any other organs , suggesting that the virus is strongly neurotropic , which means it preferentially attacks the nervous system . Read the reportHonduras reports at least 37 Guillain - Barre ' cases in 2016 . The report brings the number of countries detecting an increase in GBS associated with Zika virus circulation to 8 : French Polynesia , Brazil , El Salvador , the French territory of Martinique , Colombia , Suriname , Venezuela , and Honduras . Credit : New England Journal of MedicineCaption : Calcifications shown in the brain and placenta from prenatal ultrasonographic Images and photographs of coronal slices of brain . 26 February 2016 The United States reports two sexually transmitted cases of Zika virus . Image source : WHO / PAHOMarch 2016 First locally acquired cases are reported from Kosrae , Federated States of Micronesia , Dominica , and Cuba . Image source : WHO 3 March 2016 A case report published online in The Lancet describes a 15 - year - old Zika - positive girl in Guadeloupe who developed acute myelitis ( inflammation of the spinal cord ) , which caused severe back pain , numbness , and bladder dysfunction . This association suggests that Zika virus preferentially affects the nervous system . Read the reportImage source : The Lancet 4 March 2016 A study in Brazil of 88 pregnant women found that 72 women tested positive for Zika virus in their blood and / or urine . Abnormalities of the fetus were detected by ultrasound in 12 Zika - positive women . These findings add to the growing body of evidence linking Zika virus infection to fetal abnormalities . Image source : EPA / P . Campos 8 March 2016 The Zika Emergency Committee announces that evidence is increasing of a causal relationship of neurological disorders with Zika virus . WHO updates its travel recommendations to advise pregnant women not to travel to areas with ongoing Zika virus outbreaks . Travel adviceImage source : WHOView all Zika infographics 9 March 2016 Venezuela provides an epidemiological update of the Zika outbreak in that country . A total of 16 , 942 suspected Zika cases have been reported . Of 801 samples tested , 352 ( 44 %) were positive for Zika virus . Image source : EPA / M . Gutierrez ( 52558388 ) Caption : Public health workers participated in a day of fumigation to stop the spread of Aedes aegypti in Caracas , Venezuela . 10 March 2016 The United States reports 2 GBS cases with confirmed Zika virus infection . The first case , an elderly man with a recent history of travel to El Salvador , died from sudden subarachnoid haemorrhage caused by a ruptured aneurysm . The second case , a male resident of Haiti in his 30 s , was diagnosed after he travelled to the US for treatment . He recovered fully after 5 days of treatment in hospital . Image source : EPA / Jim Lo Scalzo ( 52725746 ) Caption : Senate Democratic Leader Harry Reid ( C ) , along with other Congressional leaders , holds a press conference calling on Republicans to approve the President ' s emergency supplemental request to fight the Zika virus in the U . S . 22 March 2016 WHO expert meetings have identified gaps in knowledge about Zika virus , potentially related complications , effective interventions , and areas of needed research and technologies . Dr Chan highlights findings and next steps in the fight against Zika .