Zika Virus in a Traveler Returning to China from Caracas, Venezuela, February 2016

Abstract

Zika virus, a member of the Flaviviridae family, is primarily transmitted through Aedes spp. mosquitoes, and evidence of vertical, sexual, and blood transmission of Zika virus has been reported (1–3). The virus has spread rapidly across Latin America and the Caribbean since the end of 2014 and has been linked to an increase in neurologic disorders and neonatal malformations in these areas (4). Zika virus has the potential to spread internationally through the carriage of goods and travelers (5). Traveler volume between China and areas with autochthonous transmission of Zika virus is increasing; in 2015, China received ≈84,000 travelers who had departed from international airports in Brazil (5). The Ae. aegypti mosquito, the competent vector for Zika virus, is found in areas of Hainan, Guangdong, and Yunnan provinces on the mainland of China, where the known distribution is limited to areas below 22° latitude. However, Ae. albopictus mosquitoes are widely distributed, extending from the southern reaches to the northern and western parts of China, with north fringes from Shenyang in Liaoning Province, through Tianshui and Longnan in Gansu Province, to Motuo in Tibet (6). Surveillance of Zika virus infection among Chinese travelers has been enhanced since January 2016. We report the clinical and laboratory findings for a case Zika virus infection imported from Venezuela.