BibTex format
@article{McCain:2026,
author = {McCain, K and Vicco, A and Morgenstern, C and Rawson, T and Naidoo, TM and Bhatia, S and Dee, DP and Doohan, P and Fraser, K and Hartner, A-M and Leuba, SI and Ruybal-Pesántez, S and Sheppard, RJ and Unwin, HJT and Charniga, K and Cucunubá, ZM and Cuomo-Dannenburg, G and Imai-Eaton, N and Knock, ES and Kucharski, A and Kusumgar, M and Liétar, P and Nash, RK and van, Elsland S and Faria, NR and Cori, A and McCabe, R and Dorigatti, I and Morris, A and Forna, A and Dighe, A and Hamlet, A and Lambert, B and Cracknell, Daniels B and Whittaker, C and Santoni, C and Geismar, C and Nikitin, D and Jorgensen, D and Thompson, H and Routledge, I and Wardle, J and Skarp, J and Hicks, J and Parchani, K and Drake, K and Geidelberg, L and Cattarino, L and Kont, M and Baguelin, M and Perez, Guzman P and Christen, P and Fitzjohn, R and Johnson, R and Radhakrishnan, S},
journal = {Nature Health},
title = {A systematic review and meta-analysis of Zika virus epidemiology},
year = {2026}
}
RIS format (EndNote, RefMan)
TY - JOUR
AB - Zika virus (ZIKV), classified as a priority pathogen by the World Health Organization, is an Aedes-borne arbovirus that can cause neurological complications and birth defects in newborns of mothers infected during pregnancy. We conducted a systematic review of peer-reviewed studies reporting ZIKV epidemiological parameters, transmission models and outbreaks (PROSPERO CRD42023393345) to characterize its transmissibility, seroprevalence, risk factors, disease sequelae and natural history. We performed meta-analyses of the proportions of congenital Zika syndrome, pregnancy loss among ZIKV-infected mothers and symptomatic cases. We extracted information from 574 studies. Across 418 included studies assigned a high-quality score, we extracted 969 parameters, 127 outbreak records and 154 models. Using random-effects models, we estimated proportions of congenital Zika syndrome (4.65%, 95% confidence interval (CI): 3.38–6.67%), pregnancy loss (2.48%, 95% CI: 1.62–3.78%) and symptomatic cases (51.20%, 95% CI: 38.00–64.23%). Seroprevalence estimates (n = 354) were retrieved beyond South America and French Polynesia. Basic reproduction number estimates (n = 77) ranged between 1.12 and 7.4. We found 66 human epidemiological delay estimates, including the intrinsic incubation period (n = 11, range: 4–12.1 days), infectious period (n = 15, range: 3–50 days), extrinsic incubation period (n = 22, range: 5.1–24.2 days) and serial interval (n = 27, range: 7.4–32.9 days). These data are available in the R package ‘epireview’ (version 1.4.5). We provide a comprehensive systematic summary of ZIKV epidemiology, revealing large heterogeneities and inconsistencies in the reporting of parameter estimates, study designs and parameter definitions and underscoring the need for standardized epidemiological definitions.
AU - McCain,K
AU - Vicco,A
AU - Morgenstern,C
AU - Rawson,T
AU - Naidoo,TM
AU - Bhatia,S
AU - Dee,DP
AU - Doohan,P
AU - Fraser,K
AU - Hartner,A-M
AU - Leuba,SI
AU - Ruybal-Pesántez,S
AU - Sheppard,RJ
AU - Unwin,HJT
AU - Charniga,K
AU - Cucunubá,ZM
AU - Cuomo-Dannenburg,G
AU - Imai-Eaton,N
AU - Knock,ES
AU - Kucharski,A
AU - Kusumgar,M
AU - Liétar,P
AU - Nash,RK
AU - van,Elsland S
AU - Faria,NR
AU - Cori,A
AU - McCabe,R
AU - Dorigatti,I
AU - Morris,A
AU - Forna,A
AU - Dighe,A
AU - Hamlet,A
AU - Lambert,B
AU - Cracknell,Daniels B
AU - Whittaker,C
AU - Santoni,C
AU - Geismar,C
AU - Nikitin,D
AU - Jorgensen,D
AU - Thompson,H
AU - Routledge,I
AU - Wardle,J
AU - Skarp,J
AU - Hicks,J
AU - Parchani,K
AU - Drake,K
AU - Geidelberg,L
AU - Cattarino,L
AU - Kont,M
AU - Baguelin,M
AU - Perez,Guzman P
AU - Christen,P
AU - Fitzjohn,R
AU - Johnson,R
AU - Radhakrishnan,S
PY - 2026///
SN - 3005-0693
TI - A systematic review and meta-analysis of Zika virus epidemiology
T2 - Nature Health
ER -