Zika Persistence

Clear evidence associates mosquito-borne Zika virus with birth defects and the Guillain-Barré syndrome. Because the virus is also transmitted through sexual contact and blood transfusion, more detailed data on its persistence in body fluids is urgently needed. To this end, researchers working with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report interim results in 150 of 350 participants with infection diagnosed by reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) from a prospective cohort study in Puerto Rico on the kinetics of Zika virus in serum, urine, saliva, semen, and vaginal secretions.

Among 127 symptomatic participants with acute febrile illness identified by screening in emergency departments or outpatient clinics and …