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First case of confirmed congenital Zika syndrome in continental Africa
Madalena Sassetti1, Líbia Zé-Zé2,3, João Franco1
1Department of Paediatrics, Hospital Garcia de Orta, Av. Torrado da Silva, Almada, Portugal.
Background:
Zika virus has been responsible for recent outbreaks in the western hemisphere with known neurological complications such as microcephaly. This complication has not been previously documented in continental Africa.
Methods:
Neurological evaluation of the newborn was performed after birth, at one and two months of age. The mother and the newborn sera samples were tested by immunofluorescent assay (IFA; immunoglobulin G [IgG] and IgM) for Zika virus and the presence of Zika virus ribonucleic acid (RNA) was checked by qualitative real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) in placenta, blood and urine samples.
Results:
We report on a newborn, born in Portugal, with microcephaly with confirmed congenital Zika virus infection (Asian lineage) imported from Angola with typical clinical and imaging findings.
Conclusions:
To our knowledge this is the first report that shows the circulation of the Asian lineage in Angola and the first report of a congenital Zika syndrome in continental Africa.
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