Article Category:
Research Article

Evidence of Ongoing Transmission of Zika Virus in Mérida, Mexico

James T. Earnest Department of Environmental Sciences, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia;

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Karina Jacqueline Ciau-Carillo Laboratorio de Virologia, Centro de Investigaciones Regionales Dr. Hideyo Noguchi, Universidad Autónoma de Yucatán, Mérida, Mexico;

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Oscar D. Kirstein Department of Environmental Sciences, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia;

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Azael Che-Mendoza Unidad Colaborativa para Bioensayos Entomologicos, Campus de Ciencias Biológicas y Agropecurias, Universidad Autónoma de Yucatán, Mérida, Mexico;

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Daniel O. Espinoza Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia;

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Henry Puerta-Guardo Laboratorio de Virologia, Centro de Investigaciones Regionales Dr. Hideyo Noguchi, Universidad Autónoma de Yucatán, Mérida, Mexico;
Unidad Colaborativa para Bioensayos Entomologicos, Campus de Ciencias Biológicas y Agropecurias, Universidad Autónoma de Yucatán, Mérida, Mexico;

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Kevin Yam-Trujillo Laboratorio de Virologia, Centro de Investigaciones Regionales Dr. Hideyo Noguchi, Universidad Autónoma de Yucatán, Mérida, Mexico;

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Manuel Parra-Cardeña Laboratorio de Virologia, Centro de Investigaciones Regionales Dr. Hideyo Noguchi, Universidad Autónoma de Yucatán, Mérida, Mexico;

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Gloria A. Barrera-Fuentes Unidad Colaborativa para Bioensayos Entomologicos, Campus de Ciencias Biológicas y Agropecurias, Universidad Autónoma de Yucatán, Mérida, Mexico;
Laboratorio de Hematologia, Centro de Investigaciones Regionales Dr. Hideyo Noguchi, Universidad Autónoma de Yucatán, Mérida, Mexico;

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Norma Pavia-Ruz Laboratorio de Hematologia, Centro de Investigaciones Regionales Dr. Hideyo Noguchi, Universidad Autónoma de Yucatán, Mérida, Mexico;

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Fabian Correa-Morales Centro Nacional de Programas Preventivos y Control de Enfermedades (CENAPRECE), Secretaria de Salud Mexico, Mexico City, Mexico;

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Hector Gomez-Dantes Health Systems Research Centre, National Institute of Public Health, Cuernavaca, Mexico;

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Pilar Granja-Perez Servicios de Salud de Yucatán, Mérida, Mexico

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Salha Villanueva Servicios de Salud de Yucatán, Mérida, Mexico

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Pablo Manrique-Saide Unidad Colaborativa para Bioensayos Entomologicos, Campus de Ciencias Biológicas y Agropecurias, Universidad Autónoma de Yucatán, Mérida, Mexico;

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Guadalupe Ayora-Talavera Laboratorio de Virologia, Centro de Investigaciones Regionales Dr. Hideyo Noguchi, Universidad Autónoma de Yucatán, Mérida, Mexico;

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Matthew H. Collins Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia;

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Gonzalo Vazquez-Prokopec Department of Environmental Sciences, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia;

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DOI:
https://doi.org/10.4269/ajtmh.23-0533
Volume/Issue:
Volume 110: Issue 4
Page(s):
724–730
Restricted access
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ABSTRACT.

Since the Zika virus (ZIKV) pandemic in 2015–2017, there has been a near absence of reported cases in the Americas outside of Brazil. However, the conditions for Aedes-borne transmission persist in Latin America, and the threat of ZIKV transmission is increasing as population immunity wanes. Mexico has reported only 70 cases of laboratory-confirmed ZIKV infection since 2020, with no cases recorded in the Yucatán peninsula. Here, we provide evidence of active ZIKV transmission, despite the absence of official case reports, in the city of Mérida, Mexico, the capital of the state of Yucatán. Capitalizing on an existing cohort, we detected cases in participants with symptoms consistent with flavivirus infection from 2021 to 2022. Serum samples from suspected cases were tested for ZIKV RNA by polymerase chain reaction or ZIKV-reactive IgM by ELISA. To provide more specific evidence of exposure, focus reduction neutralization tests were performed on ELISA-positive samples. Overall, we observed 25 suspected ZIKV infections for an estimated incidence of 2.8 symptomatic cases per 1,000 persons per year. Our findings emphasize the continuing threat of ZIKV transmission in the setting of decreased surveillance and reporting.

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Author Notes

Financial support: This study was funded by the National Institutes of Health, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (U01AI148069; Vazquez-Prokopec, PI). The funders have not had a role in the study’s design and will not be involved in the collection, analysis, or interpretation of the data.

Disclosure: The trial protocol was approved by Emory University (IRB00108666) and the Autonomous University of Yucatán (CEI-05-2020) and received endorsement by the Ministry of Health of the State of Yucatán and the Federal Ministry of Health of Mexico. Written consent/assent was obtained from the parents of all participants in their native Spanish language. The trial was registered in ClinicalTrials.gov (identifier NCT04343521; registered on April 13, 2020) and complied with the WHO International Clinical Trials Registry Platform requirements. An independent external monitor reviews consents, adverse effects, and other trial performance metrics yearly.

Authors’ addresses: James T. Earnest, Oscar D. Kirstein, and Gonzalo Vazquez-Prokopec, Department of Environmental Sciences, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, E-mails: jtearne@emory.edu, odkirstein@emory.edu, and gmvazqu@emory.edu. Karina Jacqueline Ciau-Carillo, Kevin Yam-Trujillo, Manuel Parra-Cardeña, and Guadalupe Ayora-Talavera, Laboratorio de Virologia, Centro de Investigaciones Regionales Dr. Hideyo Noguchi, Universidad Autónoma de Yucatán, Mérida, Mexico, E-mails: jciauca@gmail.com, jorge.yam@correo.uady.mx, manuelparra9789@gmail.com, and talavera@correo.uady.mx. Azael Che-Mendoza and Pablo Manrique-Saide, Unidad Colaborativa para Bioensayos Entomologicos, Campus de Ciencias Biológicas y Agropecurias, Universidad Autónoma de Yucatán, Mérida, Mexico, E-mails: achemendoza_vectores@hotmail.com and pablo_manrique2000@hotmail.com. Daniel O. Espinoza and Matthew H. Collins, Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, E-mails: daniel.omar.espinoza@emory.edu and matthew.collins@emory.edu. Henry Puerta-Guardo, Laboratorio de Virologia, Centro de Investigaciones Regionales Dr. Hideyo Noguchi, Universidad Autónoma de Yucatán, Mérida, Mexico, and Unidad Colaborativa para Bioensayos Entomologicos, Campus de Ciencias Biológicas y Agropecurias, Universidad Autónoma de Yucatán, Mérida, Mexico, E-mail: hpuertaguardo@gmail.com. Gloria A. Barrera-Fuentes, Unidad Colaborativa para Bioensayos Entomologicos, Campus de Ciencias Biológicas y Agropecurias, Universidad Autónoma de Yucatán, Mérida, Mexico, and Laboratorio de Hematologia, Centro de Investigaciones Regionales Dr. Hideyo Noguchi, Universidad Autónoma de Yucatán, Mérida, Mexico, E-mail: gloria.barrera@correo.uady.mx. Norma Pavia-Ruz, Laboratorio de Hematologia, Centro de Investigaciones Regionales Dr. Hideyo Noguchi, Universidad Autónoma de Yucatán, Mérida, Mexico, E-mail: norma_pavia_ruz@hotmail.com. Fabian Correa-Morales, Centro Nacional de Programas Preventivos y Control de Enfermedades (CENAPRECE), Secretaria de Salud Mexico, Mexico City, Mexico, E-mail: fabian.correa@salud.gob.mx. Hector Gomez-Dantes, Health Systems Research Centre, National Institute of Public Health, Cuernavaca, Mexico, E-mail: hector.gomez@insp.mx. Pilar Granja-Perez and Salha Villanueva, Servicios de Salud de Yucatán, Mérida, Mexico, E-mails: pilar.granja@ssy.gob.mx and salha.villanueva@ssy.gob.mx.

Address correspondence to James T. Earnest, Department of Environmental Sciences, Emory University, 400 Dowman Dr. W507, Atlanta, GA 30307. E-mail: jtearne@emory.edu
Copyright:
© American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene 2024
Received:
11 Aug 2023
|
Accepted:
05 Dec 2023
|
Published Online:
20 Feb 2024
Cover The American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene
The American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene
Print ISSN:
0002-9637
Online ISSN:
1476-1645
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