A paper has now been published in Epidemiology and infection. A link to the abstract can be found below.
Lead investigator
Dr Richard Pebody
Head of the Respiratory Diseases Department
Public Health England
61 Colindale Avenue
London NW9 5EQ
Project co-ordinator
Dr Clarissa Oeser
Emerging Infections and Zoonoses
Public Health England
61 Colindale Avenue
London NW9 5EQ
Email: clarissa.oeser@phe.gov.uk
皇家华人 the study
Overview
Microcephaly and neurological abnormalities in neonates can have multiple causes, one of them being congenital infections. These conditions can have significant consequences for the baby鈥檚 future development.
Microcephaly itself is a rare condition, but in Brazil over the last year many more cases of microcephaly and also other abnormalities of the brain have been seen than would be expected. There is significant concern from health care professionals across the world that this rise is due to increased rates of infection with the Zika virus in women during pregnancy over the same time period. Zika virus infections have been reported from Brazil since early 2015 and since then, the virus has spread and many more countries and territories are now reporting infections worldwide.
Every year a large number of UK residents travel to countries that have been recently affected by Zika. Pregnant travellers are at risk of acquiring Zika virus infection which may then affect their unborn baby.
You can download the protocol card, including references, below.
Case definition
All infants 12 months of age and under with a head circumference more than two standard deviations below the mean for gestational age and sex (i.e. below the second centile) or any neurological abnormality requiring investigation whose mother has travelled to a country with active Zika transmission during pregnancy or in the three months prior to conception.
Exclusion criteria
Travel only to countries without reported Zika transmission - (now archived).
Publications
Published papers
- C Oeser, E Aarons, PT Heath, K Johnson, A Khalil, M Knight, RM Lynn, D Morgan, R Pebody. . Epidemiology & Infection. 2019;147.
Duration
April 2016-April 2018 (25 months of surveillance). Follow-up until April 2019 (12 month follow-up).
Funding
This study was funded through Public Health England.
Approval
Public Health England approval under Section 251 of the NHS Act 2006 to process confidential patient information for public health purposes. See The Health Service (Control of Patient Information) Regulations 2002.
Support group
Partners
