Confirmed Zika virus infection in a Belgian traveler returning from Guatemala, and the diagnostic challenges of imported cases into Europe

Zika virus (ZIKV) is a flavivirus transmitted by Aedes mosquitos. Clinical symptoms include fever, rash, arthralgia, myalgia and conjunctivitis, but an estimated 80% of persons infected with ZIKV are asymptomatic [1]. In the acute phase, the clinical presentation is difficult to differentiate from other arbovirus infections such as DENV and chikungunya virus (CHIKV), which are transmitted by the same vectors and commonly co-circulate in the same geographic area. The course of ZIKV disease is usually mild and self-limiting, but further in-depth studies are needed to investigate if there is a causal link between ZIKV infections and Guillain-Barré syndrome cases and newborns with microcephaly and other neurological manifestations which have been increasingly reported in countries hit by the current and past outbreaks [2].

Source: Journal of Clinical Virology - April 13, 2016 Category: Virology Authors: Birgit De Smet, Dorien Van den Bossche, Charlotte van de Werve, Jacques Mairesse, Jonas Schmidt-Chanasit, Jo Michiels, Kevin K. Ariën, Marjan Van Van Esbroeck, Lieselotte Cnops Tags: Case report Source Type: research