CASE REPORT
First documented case of Zika virus infection in a Polish patient – diagnostic traps. Case report
 
More details
Hide details
1
Department of Infectious Diseases and Hepatology, Medical University of Silesia, Katowice, Poland
 
2
Laboratory BSL3 and Virology Department, National Institute of Public Health NIH – National Research Institute, Warsaw, Poland
 
 
Corresponding author
Aleksandra Marta Spychał   

Department of Infectious Diseases and Hepatology, Medical University of Silesia, Poland
 
 
 
KEYWORDS
TOPICS
ABSTRACT
Zika virus (ZIKV), a mosquito-borne virus of the Flaviviridae family, has been reported in 89 countries. While ZIKV is not endemic in Poland, travel to regions with Aedes mosquitoes prevalence, presents a risk. This case report describes Poland’s first ZIKV case in a patient with past Dengue virus (DENV) infection, following travel with his wife in 2016 to the Dominican Republic. Symptoms included fever, maculopapular rash, muscle pain, enlarged cervical lymph nodes, and lumbar pain. Hospital tests confirmed ZIKV, as well as possible simultaneous DENV infection. Further RT-PCR and serology tests were performed to exclude cross-reactivity. After 12 weeks, ZIKV RNA was detected in seminal fluid. Elevated IgG levels indicated prior DENV infection, while Dengue virus’ antigen of non-structural protein 1 (NS1) antigen tests ruled out acute DENV. These findings impacted the couple’s reproductive plans due to potential ZIKV transmission and patient’s risk of secondary infection
REFERENCES (28)
1.
Leier HC, Messer WB, Tafesse FG. Lipids and pathogenic flaviviruses: An intimate union. Dutch RE, ed. PLOS Pathog. 2018;14(5):e1006952. doi:10.1371/journal.ppat.1006952.
 
2.
Ayres CFJ. Identification of Zika virus vectors and implications for control. Lancet Infect Dis. 2016;16(3):278–279. doi:10.1016/S1473-3099(16)00073-6.
 
3.
Musso D, Gubler DJ. Zika Virus. Clin Microbiol Rev. 2016;29(3):487–524. doi:10.1128/CMR.00072-15.
 
4.
Pielnaa P, Al-Saadawe M, Saro A, et al. Zika virus-spread, epidemiology, genome, transmission cycle, clinical manifestation, associated challenges, vaccine and antiviral drug development. Virology. 2020;543:34–42. doi:10.1016/j.virol.2020.01.015.
 
5.
Song BH, Yun SI, Woolley M, Lee YM. Zika virus: History, epidemiology, transmission, and clinical presentation. J Neuroimmunol. 2017;308:50–64. doi:10.1016/j.jneuroim.2017.03.001.
 
6.
Zika virus. Accessed February 13, 2024. https://www.who.int/news-room/....
 
7.
Musso D, Gubler DJ. Zika Virus. Clin Microbiol Rev. 2016;29(3):487–524. doi:10.1128/CMR.00072–15.
 
8.
Plourde AR, Bloch EM. A Literature Review of Zika Virus. Emerg Infect Dis. 2016;22(7):1185–1192. doi:10.3201/eid2207.151990.
 
9.
Stiasny K, Malafa S, Aberle SW, et al. Different Cross-Reactivities of IgM Responses in Dengue, Zika and Tick-Borne Encephalitis Virus Infections. Viruses. 2021;13(4):596. doi:10.3390/v13040596.
 
10.
PAHO/WHO Data – ZIKA. Accessed February 13, 2024. https://www3.paho.org/data/ind....
 
11.
Zika virus disease – Annual Epidemiological Report for 2021. June 22, 2023. Accessed February 13, 2024. https://www.ecdc.europa.eu/en/....
 
12.
Rezza G. Climate change and the spread of Aedes mosquito-borne viruses in Europe. Pathog Glob Health. 2024;118(4):358–359. doi:10.1080/20477724.2024.2323842.
 
13.
Grischott F, Puhan M, Hatz C, Schlagenhauf P. Non-vector-borne transmission of Zika virus: A systematic review. Travel Med Infect Dis. 2016;14(4):313–330. doi:10.1016/j.tmaid.2016.07.002.
 
14.
Barzon L, Pacenti M, Franchin E, et al. Infection dynamics in a traveller with persistent shedding of Zika virus RNA in semen for six months after returning from Haiti to Italy, January 2016. Eurosurveillance. 2016;21(32). doi:10.2807/1560–7917.ES.2016.21.32.30316.
 
15.
Musso D, Ko AI, Baud D. Zika Virus Infection — After the Pandemic. Longo DL, ed. N Engl J Med. 2019;381(15):1444–1457. doi:10.1056/NEJMra1808246.
 
16.
CDC. Preventing Zika. Zika Virus. January 30, 2025. Accessed April 23, 2025. https://www.cdc.gov/zika/preve....
 
17.
Zhang X, Li G, Chen G, et al. Recent progresses and remaining challenges for the detection of Zika virus. Med Res Rev. 2021;41(4):2039–2108. doi:10.1002/med.21786.
 
18.
Paixão ES, Teixeira MG, Rodrigues LC. Zika, chikungunya and dengue: the causes and threats of new and re-emerging arboviral diseases. BMJ Glob Health. 2018;3(Suppl 1): e000530. doi:10.1136/bmjgh-2017-000530.
 
19.
Revised diagnostic testing for Zika, chikungunya, and dengue viruses in US Public Health Laboratories. Accessed November 4, 2023. https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cd....
 
20.
Jorge FA, Thomazella MV, de Castro Moreira D, et al. Evolutions and upcoming on Zika virus diagnosis through an outbreak: A systematic review. Rev Med Virol. 2020;30(3):e2105. doi:10.1002/rmv.2105.
 
21.
Steinhagen K, Probst C, Radzimski C, et al. Serodiagnosis of Zika virus (ZIKV) infections by a novel NS1-based ELISA devoid of cross-reactivity with dengue virus antibodies: a multicohort study of assay performance, 2015 to 2016. Eurosurveillance. 2016;21(50). doi:10.2807/1560-7917.ES.2016.21.50.30426.
 
22.
Chan KR, Ismail AA, Thergarajan G, et al. Serological cross-reactivity among common flaviviruses. Front Cell Infect Microbiol. 2022;12:975398. doi:10.3389/fcimb.2022.975398.
 
23.
Gaspar-Castillo C, Rodríguez MH, Ortiz-Navarrete V, et al. Structural and immunological basis of cross-reactivity between dengue and Zika infections: Implications in serosurveillance in endemic regions. Front Microbiol. 2023;14:1107496. doi:10.3389/fmicb.2023.1107496.
 
24.
Chauhan N, Gaur KK, Asuru TR, Guchhait P. Dengue virus: pathogenesis and potential for small molecule inhibitors. Biosci Rep. 2024;44(8):BSR20240134. doi:10.1042/BSR20240134.
 
25.
Kok BH, Lim HT, Lim CP, et al. Dengue virus infection – a review of pathogenesis, vaccines, diagnosis and therapy. Virus Res. 2023;324:199018. doi:10.1016/j.virusres.2022.199018.
 
26.
Dengvaxia European Medicines Agency. Accessed February 13, 2024. https://www.ema.europa.eu/en/m....
 
27.
Elong Ngono A, Shresta S. Immune Response to Dengue and Zika. Annu Rev Immunol. 2018;36(1):279–308. doi:10.1146/annurev-immunol-042617-053142.
 
28.
WIRUS ZIKA – Główny Inspektorat Sanitarny – Portal Gov.pl. Główny Inspektorat Sanitarny. Accessed February 13, 2024. https://www.gov.pl/web/gis/wir....
 
eISSN:1898-2263
ISSN:1232-1966
Journals System - logo
Scroll to top