A Review and Analysis of Computational Approaches in Diagnosing, Monitoring, Controlling, and Developing Treatments and Vaccines Against the Zika Virus

The Zika virus is an arbovirus transmitted mainly by the Aedes aegypti mosquito, which is responsible for causing Zika fever. This infection can lead to serious neurological complications, such as Guillain-Barré Syndrome in adults and Congenital Zika Syndrome in newborns. This study consists of a systematic review of the Zika virus, emphasizing computational approaches used in understanding this virus. The research questions that guide this investigation are as follows: RQ1) What computational methods are used to diagnose ZIKV? RQ2) What computational techniques are used to monitor and control ZIKV? RQ3) What computational approaches are used to develop drugs and vaccines against ZIKV? Therefore, the work analyzes current methodologies, their applications, and challenges to guide future research and improve strategies against ZIKV. Furthermore, it addresses the general aspects of Congenital Zika Syndrome, such as pathogenesis, clinical manifestations, types of transmission, factors favorable to incidence, and complications. The study was based on reading 96 articles from primary databases in the area of computing, such as ACM, Digital Library, IEEE Xplore, and Science Direct, as well as health databases, such as Pubmed LILACS and SciELO.