Zika virus infection differential diagnosis

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Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1]; Associate Editor(s)-in-Chief: Luke Rusowicz-Orazem, B.S.

Overview

Differentiating Zika Virus infection from Other Diseases

  • Zika virus infection manifests through a broad range of clinical symptoms shared with multiple different diseases from the Flaviviridae Virus family, causing misdiagnosis to be common with the following diseases:[1]
  • Zika virus infection is primarily detected and specified against similar diseases by laboratory testing, including:
    • Performing reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) on obtained serum.[1]
    • Plaque-reduction neutralization techniques to differentiate Zika virus infection from similar diseases by measuring the Zika virus-specific-neutralizing antibodies, allowing discrimination between Zika virus infection and other primary flavivirus infections.[1]
  • Zika virus infection is clinically distinct from similar diseases by its typically mild symptoms and short length, with symptoms typically lasting 4-7 days total and not requiring hospitalization.[2]
  • Zika virus infection-related complications such as Microcephaly and Guillain-Barré syndrome, distinguishes Zika virus infection from other Flaviviridae Virus diseases.[3]

References

  1. 1.0 1.1 1.2 Zika virus. Center for Disease Control and Prevention for Medical Professionals. http://www.cdc.gov/zika/hc-providers/clinicalevaluation.html Accessed on December 10, 2015
  2. Outbreak of Exanthematous Illness Associated with Zika, Chikungunya, and Dengue Viruses, Salvador, Brazil. Emerging Infectious Diseases; Center for Disease Control. http://wwwnc.cdc.gov/eid/pdfs/vol21no12_pdf-version.pdf Accessed on December 16, 2015
  3. "Epidemiological Alert: Neurological Syndromes, Congenital Malformations, and Zika Virus Infection. Implications for Public Health in the Americas". Pan American Health Organization. Pan American Health Organization. December 1, 2015. Retrieved December 11, 2015.