Epidemiology and Clinical Characteristics of Zika Virus Infections Imported into Korea from March to October 2016

• Published in: Journal of Korean medical science Vol. 32; no. 9; pp. 1440 - 1444
• Main Authors: Yoon, Doran, Shin, Seung Hwan, Jang, Hee Chang, Kim, Eu Suk, Song, Eun Hee, Moon, Song Mi, Shin, So Youn, Choe, Pyeong Gyun, Sung, Jung Joon, Choi, Eun Hwa, Oh, Myoung Don, Jee, Youngmee, Kim, Nam Joong
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Korea (South) The Korean Academy of Medical Sciences 01-09-2017; 대한의학회
• Subjects: Adult; Exanthema - etiology; Female; Humans; Male; Middle Aged; Myalgia - etiology; Original; Pregnancy; Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction; Republic of Korea - epidemiology; RNA, Viral - blood; RNA, Viral - urine; Saliva - virology; Travel; Young Adult; Zika Virus - genetics; Zika Virus - isolation & purification; Zika Virus Infection - diagnosis; Zika Virus Infection - epidemiology; 의학일반; Asia, Southeastern; Travel; Virus Shedding; Zika Virus; Korea; Latin America
• ISSN: 1011-8934; 1598-6357
• DOI: 10.3346/jkms.2017.32.9.1440

Zika is a re-emerging, mosquito-borne viral infection, which has been recently shown to cause microcephaly and Guillain-Barré syndrome. Since 2015 the number of infected patients has increased significantly in South America. The purpose of this study was to identify the epidemiologic and clinical characteristics of patients with Zika virus (ZIKV) infections in Korea. Patients who had visited areas of risk and tested positive in the ZIKV reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) in blood, urine, or saliva specimens were included. The first Korean case of ZIKV infection was reported in March 2016, and 14 cases had been reported by October 2016. The median age of the patients was 34 years (19-64 years). Ten patients had been exposed in Southeast Asia and 4 in Latin America. Rash was the most common symptom (92.9%; 13/14), followed by myalgia (50.0%; 7/14), and arthralgia (28.6%, 4/14). There were no neurologic abnormalities and none of the patients was pregnant. Results of biochemical tests were normal. Positivity rates of RT-PCR for ZIKV in serum, urine, and saliva were 53.8%, 100.0%, and 83.3%, respectively in the first week of symptoms. In conclusion, 14 patients with ZIKV infections were reported in Korea by October 2016 and all of them had mild clinical symptoms.