Zika presented in a young, pregnant Florida woman as erythematous follicular macules and papules on the trunk and arms, scattered tender pink papules on the palms, and a few petechiae on the hard palate, according to a Jan. 11 report in the New England Journal of Medicine.
The report advises how Zika virus may present during pregnancy. “Medical providers on the front line should be aware of the constellation of symptoms in patients reporting travel to endemic areas, including areas in Southern Florida, where other non–travel-associated cases have been confirmed,” wrote investigators led by Lucy Chen, MD, of the University of Miami (N Engl J Med. 2017 Jan 11. doi: 10.1056/NEJMc1610614).
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Zika virus RNA was detected in the woman’s urine and serum specimens with the use of reverse-transcriptase polymerase chain reaction and persisted for 2 weeks in urine samples and for 6 weeks in serum samples. On histopathology, skin lesions revealed a mild perivascular lymphocytic infiltration in the upper dermis, admixed with some neutrophils. Liver and renal functions were normal.
Fetal ultrasonography performed on the day of presentation showed an estimated fetal weight of 644 g (53rd percentile), an estimated head circumference of 221 mm (63rd percentile), and normal intracranial anatomy. Fevers and rash subsided after 3 days of supportive care. Screening for measles, varicella, rubella, syphilis, Epstein-Barr virus, influenza, hepatitis B, hepatitis C, mumps, and dengue was unrevealing.
An initial IgM test on July 7 was negative; seroconversion occurred 1 week after presentation and remained positive through delivery.
A full-term infant weighing 2,990 g was delivered vaginally. Neonatal ultrasonography and magnetic resonance imaging of the head showed a normal head size and intracranial anatomy, with no calcifications. Placental tissue was negative for Zika virus, and neonatal laboratory testing revealed no evidence of infection.
The case was confirmed by the Miami-Dade County Department of Health as the first non–travel-associated Zika infection in the United States.
The investigators reported having no relevant financial disclosures.