Impact of Zika virus for infertility specialists: current literature, guidelines, and resources

In the past 2 years, Zika virus has emerged from obscurity onto the world stage—traversing and transcending clinical specialties, basic science disciplines, and public health efforts. The spread of Zika virus has serious implications for the specialty of reproductive endocrinology and infertility. Our patients, practices, and labs—worldwide and specifically in the USA—have been impacted by this teratogenic, sexually transmitted, largely asymptomatic virus. While the World Health Organization’s Public Emergency of International Concern designation has lapsed as major epidemics have subsided and understanding of risks is in part clarified, the acute and long-term threat to pregnant patients is not over. The risk of wider spread in the USA is not insignificant, the subtler and long-ranging consequences beyond microcephaly are not fully known, large geographic areas of risk still contain naïve populations, and whether Zika will continue to be an intermittent risk in endemic areas is uncertain. Staying up to date with the burgeoning research on Zika virus is an important objective for the infertility specialist. Here, we review in detail the most relevant recent developments, discuss applicable guidelines, and propose strategies for contributing to a reduction in the risk and burden of Zika virus.