Surveillance for Mosquitoborne Transmission of Zika Virus, New York City, NY, USA, 2016

• Published in: Emerging infectious diseases Vol. 24; no. 5; pp. 827 - 834
• Main Authors: Wahnich, Amanda, Clark, Sandhya, Bloch, Danielle, Kubinson, Hannah, Hrusa, Gili, Liu, Dakai, Rakeman, Jennifer L, Deocharan, Bisram, Jones, Lucretia, Slavinski, Sally, Stoute, Alaina, Mathes, Robert, Weiss, Don, Conners, Erin E
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States U.S. National Center for Infectious Diseases 01.05.2018; Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
• Subjects: Adolescent; Adult; Animals; arbovirus; autochthonous; Child; Conjunctivitis; Culicidae - virology; Disease transmission; Female; Health aspects; Humans; Infection; Male; Middle Aged; Mosquitoes; New York; New York City - epidemiology; Pregnancy; Sentinel Surveillance; Surveillance for Mosquitoborne Transmission of Zika Virus, New York City, NY, USA, 2016; United States; viruses; Young Adult; Zika virus; Zika Virus - isolation & purification; Zika Virus Infection - diagnosis; Zika Virus Infection - epidemiology; New York City; New York; New York; viruses; United States; Zika virus; surveillance; autochthonous; arbovirus
• ISSN: 1080-6040; 1080-6059
• DOI: 10.3201/eid2405.170764

A large number of imported cases of Zika virus infection and the potential for transmission by Aedes albopictus mosquitoes prompted the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene to conduct sentinel, enhanced passive, and syndromic surveillance for locally acquired mosquitoborne Zika virus infections in New York City, NY, USA, during June-October 2016. Suspected case-patients were those >5 years of age without a travel history or sexual exposure who had >3 compatible signs/symptoms (arthralgia, fever, conjunctivitis, or rash). We identified 15 suspected cases and tested urine samples for Zika virus by using real-time reverse transcription PCR; all results were negative. We identified 308 emergency department visits for Zika-like illness, 40,073 visits for fever, and 17 unique spatiotemporal clusters of visits for fever. We identified no evidence of local transmission. Our experience offers possible surveillance tools for jurisdictions concerned about local mosquitoborne Zika virus or other arboviral transmission.