RESUMO
ABSTRACT Many countries in the Americas have detected local transmission of multiple arboviruses that cause febrile illnesses. Therefore, laboratory testing has become an important tool for confirming the etiology of these diseases. The present study aimed to compare the sensitivity and specificity of three different Zika virus detection assays. One hundred serum samples from patients presenting with acute febrile symptoms were tested using a previously reported TaqMan® RT-qPCR assay. We used a SYBR® Green RT-qPCR and a conventional PCR methodologies to compare the results. Of the samples that were determined to be negative by the TaqMan® RT-qPCR assay, 100% (Kappa = 0.670) were also found to be negative by SYBR® Green RT-qPCR based on Tm comparison; however, 14% (Kappa = 0.035) were found to be positive by conventional PCR followed by agarose gel electrophoresis. The differences between the ZIKV strains circulating worldwide and the low viremia period can compromise diagnostic accuracy and thereby the accuracy of outbreak data. Therefore, improved assays are required to improve the diagnosis and surveillance of arbovirus.
Assuntos
Humanos , Reação em Cadeia da Polimerase/métodos , Zika virus/isolamento & purificação , Infecção por Zika virus/virologia , RNA Viral/genética , Sensibilidade e Especificidade , Zika virus/classificação , Zika virus/genética , Infecção por Zika virus/diagnósticoRESUMO
The document is a compilation of the weekly surveillance of the confirmed and suspected (clinical and test) cases of Zika in the Orange Walk district recorded by the EPI Unit of the Ministry of Health, Belize for 2017. This information is captured and reported according to sex.
Assuntos
Humanos , Masculino , Feminino , Zika virus/classificação , Belize/epidemiologia , Estatísticas de Saúde , Surtos de Doenças/estatística & dados numéricosRESUMO
This report represents a compilation of 2016 statistics based on 52 weeks of epidemiologic surveillance of the Zika virus disease by the EPI Unit, Ministry of Health, Belize. Four tables with corresponding graphs provide a breakdown of the confirmed, suspected (clinical), and suspected (by test)) cases of zika according to epidemiological week, community within the Belize district, age group and sex. The incidence of Zika virus disease was presented for each of the 24 communities that comprise the Belize district as well as for one unknown location within that district. The grand total of Zika virus cases in Belize for 2016 was 349.