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The Zika virus, which causes an emerging zoonotic disease, was isolated for the first time in 1947 and identified in humans in 1952 in Africa, impacting the American continent in 2015. The virus is transmitted mainly through the bite of the female of the infected Aedes aegypti mosquito, by perinatal transmission and sexual transmission. The objective of this review is to critically analyze the chronological expansion of Zika in America and the challenges of surveillance, control and prevention, addressed in the International Health Regulations. For the data search, a documentary investigation of secondary sources, databases and specialized journal portals, such as Elsevier, Scielo, PubMed, Lilacs, was also used the official documents issued by specialized organizations, PAHO, WHO) using descriptors such as: Zika, emerging diseases, International Health Regulations. In conclusion, in the region of the Americas the virus spread rapidly, increasing the cases of neurological affectations such as congenital malformations, microcephaly and Guillán-Barré syndrome, it is through time that the RSI and the health systems In many countries, they have prepared and organized for the notifications of emerging and re-emerging diseases, which represent a threat to public health, where technology has been a fundamental pillar for the information to be given in a timely manner.