Résumé
On February 1, 2016, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared that the Zika virus disease (ZVD) outbreak constituted a public health emergency of international concern. ZVD is usually mild with symptoms lasting for several days to a week after being bitten by an infected mosquito. However, there have been reports of increased microcephaly cases and Guillain-Barré syndrome associated with the infection. Due to the large number of international travelers visiting the Washington, District of Columbia (DC) metropolitan area, health care workers within the city were asked to screen all patients about their recent travel history outside the United States (US). In addition, Washington, DC has a large population of frequent travelers, since many residents work in governmental or international non-governmental organizations. Our challenge was to not only develop and optimize a DC Zika surveillance protocol, but also to develop a regional protocol in collaboration with the neighboring jurisdictions of Maryland and Virginia. This report discusses planning for ZVD surveillance and response, including some ongoing challenges and opportunities to build and strengthen public health capacity to respond to emerging infectious diseases.