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

Birgit De Smet; Dorien Van den Bossche; Charlotte van de Werve; Jacques Mairesse; Jonas Schmidt-Chanasit; Jo Michiels; Kevin K Ariën; Marjan Van Esbroeck; Lieselotte Cnops

doi:10.1016/j.jcv.2016.04.009

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

J Clin Virol. 2016 Jul:80:8-11. doi: 10.1016/j.jcv.2016.04.009. Epub 2016 Apr 14.

Authors

Birgit De Smet¹, Dorien Van den Bossche¹, Charlotte van de Werve², Jacques Mairesse³, Jonas Schmidt-Chanasit⁴, Jo Michiels⁵, Kevin K Ariën⁵, Marjan Van Esbroeck¹, Lieselotte Cnops⁶

Affiliations

¹ National Reference Center for Arboviruses, Department of Clinical Sciences, Institute of Tropical Medicine, Antwerp, Belgium.
² Travel Clinic, Clinique Saint-Pierre, Ottignies, Belgium.
³ Biologie Clinique, Clinique Saint-Pierre, Ottignies, Belgium.
⁴ WHO Collaborating Centre for Arbovirus and Haemorrhagic Fever Reference and Research, National Reference Centre for Tropical Infectious Diseases, Bernhard- Nocht, Institute for Tropical Medicine, Hamburg, Germany; German Centre for Infection Research (DZIF), partner site Hamburg-Lübeck-Borstel, Hamburg, Germany.
⁵ Unit of Virology, Department of Biomedical Sciences, Institute of Tropical Medicine, Antwerp, Belgium.
⁶ National Reference Center for Arboviruses, Department of Clinical Sciences, Institute of Tropical Medicine, Antwerp, Belgium. Electronic address: [email protected].

PMID: 27128355
DOI: 10.1016/j.jcv.2016.04.009

Abstract

We report the first laboratory-confirmed Zika virus (ZIKV) infection in a Belgian traveler after a three week holiday in Guatemala, December 2015. This case along with other imported cases into Europe emphases once again the need for accurate diagnostic tools for this rapidly emerging virus. The challenge is to diagnose patients in the acute phase, which appears short, as serological testing is complicated by cross-reactivity, vaccination status and scarce availability of specific ZIKV tests.

Keywords: Europe; Import; Real-time RT-PCR; Zika virus.

Publication types

Case Reports
Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Adult
Belgium
Female
Guatemala
Humans
Travel-Related Illness
Zika Virus / genetics
Zika Virus / isolation & purification*
Zika Virus Infection / diagnosis*