Toolkit regarding Zika Virus

The purpose of this document is to present concise information on the current case definitions for dengue, chikungunya, and Zika proposed by PAHO, as well as information on the clinical phases and severity classification of dengue and chikungunya.

It is Zika virus (ZIKV) that most often causes these neurological effects it appears to be the only arbovirus than can cause congenital malformations such as microcephaly. In any case, more scientific tests are needed to establish the causal relationship between the virus and this malformation (7-10 ... ). This document is a practical tool designed to help health workers improve clinical diagnosis and provide timely care for patients infected with the dengue, chikungunya, or Zika virus. It is intended mainly for health workers in primary care facilities where laboratory diagnosis of arboviruses is not always available. However, this guide may also be very useful in hospitals that provide second- and third-level care, as it describes the clinical manifestations of each of the three most important arboviral diseases currently found in the Region, the elements for differential diagnosis, and their clinical behavior. more