Zika virus – Incidence and trends
To date, 40 countries and territories have confirmed local, vector-borne transmission of Zika virus disease in the Region of the Americas since 2015 (Figure 1). Since the last Pan American Health Organization/ World Health Organization (PAHO/WHO) Zika Epidemiological Update on 16 June 2016, Anguilla has confirmed vector-borne autochthonous transmission of Zika virus.
Congenital syndrome associated with Zika virus infection
No new countries or territories have reported cases of congenital syndrome associated with Zika virus infection (Table 1) since the last PAHO/WHO Zika Epidemiological Update on 16 June 2016. The Jamaica public health authorities reported that one of the four pregnant women confirmed with Zika virus infection was diagnosed with intra-uterine death during a routine ultrasound at 20 weeks of gestation.
Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS) and other neurological disorders
To date, 11 countries and territories in the Region have reported an increase in cases of Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS), and three other countries and territories have identified Zikavirus-associated GBS cases without recording an increase in GBS cases (Table 2).
The distribution of cases of Zika virus disease and GBS for Colombia, the Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Honduras, and Suriname is shown in Figure 2. Both curves are similarly shaped, indicating a temporal relation between cases of Zika virus disease and cases of GBS.
Dominican Republic
Between EW 1 and EW 20 of 2016, the Dominican Republic reported 139 cases of GBS, including 15 deaths (Figure 3). Of the total reported cases, 38% were identified in the last 4 weeks (EW 17-20 of 2016). Of the total reported cases, 62% are residents from Santo Domingo Province, and the Distrito Nacional (56 and 30 cases, respectively).
Suriname
Between EW 1 and EW 24 of 2016, Suriname identified 18 cases of GBS. The number of cases in 2016 is nearly double the number of cases notified in 2015, and is six times greater than the number notified in 2014 (Figure 4). Of the 18 GBS cases notified during the current year,
Zika virus infection was confirmed in three cases.