Assessing Sensitivity and Specificity of Surveillance Case Definitions for Zika Virus Disease

Emerg Infect Dis. 2017 Apr;23(4):677-679. doi: 10.3201/eid2304.161716. Epub 2017 Apr 15.

Abstract

We evaluated performance of 5 case definitions for Zika virus disease surveillance in a human cohort during an outbreak in Singapore, August 26-September 5, 2016. Because laboratory tests are largely inaccessible, use of case definitions that include rash as a required clinical feature are useful in identifying this disease.

Keywords: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; European Centre for Disease Control and Prevention; Pan American Health Organization; Singapore; Singapore Ministry of Health; World Health Organization; Zika virus; Zika virus disease; case definitions; performance; positive likelihood ratio; rash; sensitivity; specificity; surveillance; viruses.

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Disease Outbreaks
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Population Surveillance*
  • Singapore / epidemiology
  • Young Adult
  • Zika Virus Infection / diagnosis*
  • Zika Virus Infection / epidemiology
  • Zika Virus Infection / pathology*