New England Journal of Medicine
April 21, 2016 Vol. 374 No. 16
http://www.nejm.org/toc/nejm/medical-journal

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Perspective
Partnerships, Not Parachutists, for Zika Research
David L. Heymann, M.D., Joanne Liu, M.D., and Louis Lillywhite, M.B., B.Ch.
[Free full-text]
N Engl J Med 2016; 374:1504-1505 April 21, 2016 DOI: 10.1056/NEJMp1602278
Initial text
When the director-general of the World Health Organization (WHO) declared that the recently reported clusters of microcephaly and other neurologic disorders represent a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC), she called for increased research into their cause, including the question of whether the Zika virus is the source of the problem.1 The declaration provides an opportunity to step up the pace of research in order to find the answer to some important questions more quickly. It could not only facilitate the accumulation of knowledge about the relationship between the Zika virus and microcephaly, but also accelerate the study of newer technologies for mosquito control, which could have far-reaching effects on global health security beyond controlling Zika infections.
But to answer these research questions effectively and maximize their contribution to enhancing health security, we believe it is critical that research be conducted collaboratively. Building and strengthening public health capacities (in part through collaborative research) are central to the International Health Regulations, an international agreement of all WHO member countries designed to strengthen health security…

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Perspective
Zika Virus as a Cause of Neurologic Disorders
Nathalie Broutet, M.D., Ph.D., Fabienne Krauer, M.Sc., Maurane Riesen, M.Sc., Asheena Khalakdina, Ph.D., Maria Almiron, M.Sc., Sylvain Aldighieri, M.D., Marcos Espinal, M.D., Nicola Low, M.D., and Christopher Dye, D.Phil.
N Engl J Med 2016; 374:1506-1509 April 21, 2016 DOI: 10.1056/NEJMp1602708
Final text
… Even with limited evidence linking Zika virus to neurologic disorders, the severe potential risks demand decisive, immediate action to protect public health. The WHO recommends applying key interventions such as intensive mosquito control; personal protection against mosquito bites; provision of appropriate clinical care for all patients with Guillain–Barré syndrome and for women before, during, and after pregnancy; and prevention of Zika virus transmission through sexual contact or blood transfusion.4 Most of these are not new interventions, but they do need strengthening. Populations must be informed of the potential current and future risks of neurologic disorders, wherever the virus is being or could be locally transmitted and in other regions inhabited by the mosquito vectors. As the putative link between Zika virus and neurologic disorders is reinforced, refined, or even refuted, public health measures will be adjusted accordingly.

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Review Article
Zika Virus
Lindsey R. Baden, M.D., editor; Lyle R. Petersen, M.D., M.P.H., Denise J. Jamieson, M.D., M.P.H., Ann M. Powers, Ph.D., and Margaret A. Honein, Ph.D., M.P.H.
N Engl J Med 2016; 374:1552-1563 April 21, 2016 DOI: 10.1056/NEJMra1602113