Adverse birth outcomes associated with Zika virus exposure during pregnancy in São José do Rio Preto, Brazil

5 years ago

Adverse birth outcomes associated with Zika virus exposure during pregnancy in São José do Rio Preto, Brazil

We aimed to report the first 54 cases of pregnant women infected by Zika vírus (ZIKV) and their virological and clinical outcomes, as well as the newborns’ outcomes in 2016, after the emergence of ZIKV in dengue endemic areas of São Paulo, Brazil.

Methods

This is a descriptive study performed from February to October 2016 on 54 qPCR ZIKV-positive pregnant women identified by the Public Health Authority of São Jose do Rio Preto, São Paulo, Brazil. The women were followed and had clinical and epidemiological data collected before and after birth. Adverse outcomes in newborns were analyzed and reported. Urine or blood samples from newborns were collected to identify ZIKV infection by RT-PCR.

Results

216 acute Zika-suspected pregnant women were identified, and 54 had the diagnosis confirmed by RT-PCR. None of the 54 women miscarried. Among the 54 newborns, 15 exhibited adverse outcomes at birth. The highest number of ZIKV infections occurred during the second and third trimesters. No cases of microcephaly were reported, though the broad clinical spectrum of outcomes, as lenticulostriate vasculopathy, subependymal cysts, auditive and ophtalmological disorders, were identified. ZIKV RNA was detected in 18 of 51 newborns tested and in eight of 15 newborns with adverse outcomes.

Conclusions

Although other studies have associated many newborn outcomes to ZIKV infection during pregnancy, these same adverse outcomes were rare or non-existent in this study. The clinical presentation in our newborns was mild compared to other reports, suggesting that there is significant heterogeneity of Congenital Zika Infection.

Publisher URL: www.sciencedirect.com/science

DOI: S1198743X17306341