Clinico-Epidemiology and Molecular Detection of Zika Virus in Kassala, Eastern Sudan

Zika is a disease transmitted to humans by mosquitoes in Africa, Asia, and America, it’s caused by Zika virus (ZIKV) which is a RNA virus, ZIKV is classified within the family Flaviviridae, genus Flavivirus. The monitoring and diagnosis of the viruses early with specific molecular techniques will reduce the severity of viruses. This study aimed to detect the prevalence and molecular detection of ZIKV, and relation of age, sex, locality and other biomarkers to ZIKAV in Kassala State, Eastern Sudan. This was a cross-sectional study conducted in Kassala Teaching Hospital, Kassala State in Eastern Sudan, 286 samples for ZIKV analyzed using Real Time Polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), patients data were collected from questionnaire, from the Health Research Ethics Committee of the Ministry of Health and Social Development Kassala State ethical approval was achieved, and informed consent was obtained from participants or their guardians, statistical significance was determined using chi-square with significant set at P < 0.05. Out of 286 participants, 9 patients were positive for ZIKV, ZIKV positive was determined using RT-PCR, 2(22.2%) were males and 7(77.8%) were females, there was no a statistically significant association between gender and infection (χ² = 3.1, P = 0.1). The symptoms of positive patients were fever 9(100%) headache 9(100%), joint pain 9 (100%), back pain 9(100%), loss of appetite 9(100%), sweating 9(100%), chill 9(100%), vomiting 6(2.1%), skin rash 3(33.3%) and bleeding 0 (0%) and Poly arthralgia 8(88.9%). There were no a statistically significant differences between these symptoms and ZIKV positive patients. The haematological parameters in this study showed normal and abnormal, the most abnormal was low (thrombocytopenia, leucopenia, low RBCs), there was no a statistically significant differences with ZIKV infection ((χ² = 0.66, P = 0.717), (χ² = 0.43, P = 0.803), (χ² = 0.191, P = 0.909)) respectively. The study concluded no statistically significant differences were found among the symptoms of ZIKV-positive patients. Patients not used mosquito net, from family with same signs and past infection were a statistically significant differences with ZIKV infection ((X2 = 4.1, P = .008), (X2 = 8.1, P = .011), (X2 = 9.4, P = .014)) respectively There were no a statistically significant differences between thrombocytopenia, leucopenia and low RBCs concerning ZIKV infection ((χ² = 0.66, P = 0.717), (χ² = 0.43, P = 0.803), (χ² = 0.191, P = 0.909)) respectively.