Zika virus infection in asymptomatic persons in Myanmar, 2018

Background: Zika virus (ZIKV) is a mosquito-borne flavivirus. Outbreaks of ZIKV infection have occurred in Africa, Southeast Asia, the Pacific Islands, the Americas and the Caribbean. Although most ZIKV infections are asymptomatic, cases of neurological manifestations have been described. The aim of the present study was to identify the prevalence of ZIKV infection among the asymptomatic persons in Myanmar in 2018.

Methods: A total of 284 serum samples from apparently healthy persons were collected from Yangon, Myanmar in 2018. They were analysed for ZIKV infection by immunoglobulin M (IgM) capture enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), IgG indirect ELISA, 50% focus reduction neutralization test, real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and conventional RT-PCR.

Results: Of the 284 apparently healthy persons, 31.3% were positive for the presence of IgM against ZIKV and 94.3% were positive for anti-flavivirus IgG. Among the ZIKV IgM-positive samples, we confirmed ZIKV infection in 15.8% of asymptomatic persons by neutralization test and real-time RT-PCR.

Conclusions: We conclude that ZIKV infection was increasing among asymptomatic persons in the same area in Myanmar during 2018 compared with 2017. It is highly recommended to strengthen the surveillance system for ZIKV to prevent possible outbreaks.