Abstract
The spread of the Zika virus (ZIKV) in the Americas led to large outbreaks across the region and most of the Southern hemisphere. Of greatest concern were complications following acute infection during pregnancy. At the beginning of the outbreak, the risk to unborn babies and their clinical presentation was unclear. This report describes the methods and results of the UK surveillance response to assess the risk of ZIKV to children born to returning travellers. Established surveillance systems operating within the UK - the paediatric and obstetric surveillance units for rare diseases, and national laboratory monitoring - enabled rapid assessment of this emerging public health threat. A combined total of 11 women experiencing adverse pregnancy outcomes after possible ZIKV exposure were reported by the three surveillance systems; five miscarriages, two intrauterine deaths and four children with clinical presentations potentially associated with ZIKV infection. Sixteen women were diagnosed with ZIKV during pregnancy in the UK. Amongst the offspring of these women, there was unequivocal laboratory evidence of infection in only one child. In the UK, the number and risk of congenital ZIKV infection for travellers returning from ZIKV-affected countries is very small.
Highlights
In February 2015, health authorities of Caxias, a municipality in the North eastern state of Maranhao in Brazil, reported an outbreak of an unidentified febrile illness characterised by a rash and joint pain, affecting hundreds of people
One of the infants had laboratory-proven Zika virus (ZIKV) infection reported by Rare and Imported Pathogens Laboratory (RIPL)
Since the peak of the epidemic in 2016, reported ZIKV infections have continuously decreased in the majority of countries, and in some, virus transmission has been interrupted
Summary
In February 2015, health authorities of Caxias, a municipality in the North eastern state of Maranhao in Brazil, reported an outbreak of an unidentified febrile illness characterised by a rash and joint pain, affecting hundreds of people. Almost 7000 cases had been notified when an association with Zika virus (ZIKV) was confirmed in May 2015 and the Ministry of Health reported autochthonous transmission of ZIKV for the first time in Brazil [1]. In October 2015, approximately 9 months after the occurrence of the first cases of ZIKV infection, an unusual increase in the number of children born with microcephaly were noted in the city of Recife in Brazil’s Northeastern state of Pernumbuco. An association with ZIKV infection during pregnancy was hypothesised and the Brazilian Government declared a national public health emergency on 11 November 2015. The Pan American Health Organization/World Health Organization (PAHO/WHO) responded by issuing an epidemiological alert; WHO Member States were asked to report increases of congenital microcephaly and other central nervous system malformations through the International Health Regulations (IHR) (https://www.who.int/emergencies/ zika-virus/history/en/)
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
