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. 2019 Apr;78(4):123-127.

Zika Virus: Relevance to the State of Hawai'i

William J Lew  1   2   3   4 , Wen-Yang Tsai  1   2   3   4 , Venkataraman Balaraman  1   2   3   4 , Kore Kai Liow  1   2   3   4 , Jasmine Tyson  1   2   3   4 , Wei-Kung Wang  1   2   3   4
Affiliations

Zika Virus: Relevance to the State of Hawai'i

William J Lew et al. Hawaii J Med Public Health. 2019 Apr.

Abstract

Zika virus (ZIKV) is spread among human populations primarily through the bite of Aedes mosquitoes. While most ZIKV infections are asymptomatic or cause self-limited symptoms, the major concerns are its association with Guillain-Barré Syndrome and fetal microcephaly together with other birth defects, known as congenital Zika syndrome (CZS). This article reviews the confirmed Zika cases in the continental United States (U.S.) and Hawai'i thus far, as well as literature of Zika research relevant to Hawai'i. The first case of CZS within the U.S. was reported in Hawai'i, highlighting the unique position of Hawai'i for emerging and re-emerging infectious diseases. Recent studies of the Zika outbreak in Florida demonstrate the key role of Ae. aegypti mosquito in transmission; continuous and proactive vector surveillance in Hawai'i is warranted. Additionally, an updated interim pregnancy guidance for pregnant women with possible ZIKV exposure was summarized. Due to recent decline of ZIKV transmission in the Americas, the risk of ZIKV importation to Hawai'i has been greatly reduced. However, given the presence of Aedes mosquitoes, climate condition, and status of Hawai'i as a travel destination and foreign import market, public health officials and healthcare providers should remain vigilant for a potential outbreak of mosquito-borne diseases in the future.

Keywords: Hawai‘i; Zika virus; congenital Zika syndrome; microcephaly.

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Conflict of interest statement

None of the authors identify any conflicts of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Summary of CDC's interim guidance for pregnant women with possible ZIKV exposure. Algorithm for symptomatic (A) and asymptomatic (B) pregnant women was presented as two concise flow-charts based on the text and figures in references 37 and 38. NAT: nucleic acid test; PRNT: plaque reduction neutralization test.,
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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