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Published on: August 23, 2016
Zika Virus Disease in Children in Colombia, August 2015 to May 2016
Natalia Tolosa1, Sarah C Tinker2, Oscar Pacheco1
1Instituto Nacional de Salud, Bogota, Colombia.
Insights
Paediatric Zika virus disease (ZVD) affected over 18,000 children in Colombia. While most cases were mild, neurological complications like Guillain-Barré syndrome occurred, highlighting the need for Zika prevention in children.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Infectious Diseases
- Virology
- Epidemiology
Background:
- Children are a vulnerable population for Zika virus infection.
- Data on pediatric Zika virus infection remain limited.
Purpose of the Study:
- To estimate the incidence of Zika virus disease (ZVD) in children.
- To characterize demographic variations in ZVD incidence.
- To identify the occurrence of selected complications in pediatric ZVD cases.
Main Methods:
- Analysis of Colombia's national surveillance data from the 2015-2016 Zika outbreak.
- Inclusion of patients aged 1 month to 18 years meeting the clinical case definition of ZVD.
- Estimation of incidence by demographic characteristics and assessment of complications.
Main Results:
- Over 18,500 postnatal ZVD cases reported in children aged 1 month to 18 years.
- Cumulative incidence of reported ZVD was 114.4 per 100,000.
- Females aged 15-18 years showed a higher incidence (CIR 2.5).
- 3.4% of patients were hospitalized; 0.5% had reported neurological diagnoses, including 40 cases of Guillain-Barré syndrome.
Conclusions:
- A small proportion of pediatric ZVD cases involved hospitalization or neurological conditions.
- The potential for severe outcomes underscores the importance of preventing Zika virus infection in children.
Background:
Children are considered a potentially vulnerable population for Zika virus infection. However, data on paediatric Zika virus infection are sparse.
Methods:
We analysed data from Colombia's national surveillance system during the 2015-2016 Zika virus outbreak on patients meeting the clinical case definition of Zika virus disease (ZVD) among children aged 1 month to 18 years to estimate incidence by demographic characteristics and characterize the occurrence of selected complications.
Results:
Between August 14, 2015, and May 28, 2016, there were 18 576 reported cases of postnatal ZVD among children aged 1 month to 18 years. Laboratory testing was prioritized for high-risk patients (infants, pregnant women, adults aged ≥65 years, and persons with serious co-morbidities); among 1655 that were tested by real-time reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction, 1207 (72.9%) were positive. The cumulative incidence of reported ZVD was 114.4 per 100 000. The incidence differed by sex, depending on age group; the largest difference was observed for 15-18 year olds, with females having a higher incidence than males (cumulative incidence ratio 2.5, 95% confidence interval 2.3, 2.7). At the time of report to the surveillance system, 631 patients (3.4%) were hospitalised and 96 (0.5%) had a report of an accompanying neurological diagnosis, including Guillain-Barré syndrome in 40 patients.
Conclusions:
Only a small proportion of reported paediatric ZVD cases in Colombia were hospitalized or had reported neurological conditions following ZVD. However, the potential for some serious outcomes demonstrates the importance of preventing Zika virus infection in children.
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