Effect of Sexual Partnerships on Zika Virus Transmission in Virus-Endemic Region, Northeast Brazil

• Published in: Emerging infectious diseases Vol. 30; no. 12; pp. 2559 - 2566
• Main Authors: Magalhaes, Tereza, Coelho, Flávio Codeço, Souza, Wayner V., Viana, Isabelle F.T., Jaenisch, Thomas, Marques, Ernesto T.A., Foy, Brian D., Braga, Cynthia
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States U.S. National Center for Infectious Diseases 01.12.2024; Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
• Subjects: Adolescent; Adult; Antibodies, Viral - blood; arboviral disease; arbovirus; Brazil - epidemiology; Care and treatment; Chikungunya fever; Chikungunya Fever - epidemiology; Chikungunya Fever - transmission; Chikungunya virus; Data analysis; Dengue fever; dengue virus; Diagnosis; Distribution; Effect of Sexual Partnerships on Zika Virus Transmission in Virus-Endemic Region, Northeast Brazil; Endemic Diseases; Epidemics; Female; Guillain-Barre syndrome; Health risks; Households; Humans; Infections; Male; Mathematical models; Middle Aged; Mosquitoes; Pandemics; Population; Regression analysis; Seroepidemiologic Studies; Serology; Sexual Behavior; Sexual Partners; Sexually Transmitted Diseases, Viral - epidemiology; Sexually Transmitted Diseases, Viral - transmission; Vector-borne diseases; Young Adult; Zika virus; Zika Virus - immunology; Zika Virus Infection - epidemiology; Zika Virus Infection - transmission; ZIKV; Brazil; vector transmission; viruses; modeling; arboviral disease; sexual transmission; sexually-transmitted infections; dengue virus; zoonoses; Zika virus; chikungunya virus; arbovirus; ZIKV; vector-borne infections; Brazil; CHIKV; gender inequality
• ISSN: 1080-6040; 1080-6059; 1080-6059
• DOI: 10.3201/eid3012.231733

The epidemiologic effects of Zika virus (ZIKV) sexual transmission in virus-endemic countries remain unclear. We conducted a 2-level, linear mixed-effects logistic regression analysis by using a recently acquired population-based ZIKV and chikungunya virus (CHIKV) serologic dataset obtained from persons residing in Northeast Brazil (n = 2,070 participants). We adjusted mathematical models for housing type and age of participants; the models indicated a significantly higher likelihood of ZIKV seropositivity among persons engaged in a sexual relationship within the same household (odds ratio 1.25 [95% CI 1.00-1.55]; p = 0.047), regardless of their partner's ZIKV serostatus, and among participants with a ZIKV-seropositive sex partner within the same household (odds ratio 1.54 [95% CI 1.18-2.01]; p = 0.002). CHIKV was also modeled as a control; no sex-associated effects were observed for CHIKV serology. Inclusion of ZIKV sexual transmission in prevention and control strategies is urgently needed, particularly in ZIKV-endemic regions.