Gert van der Hoek
In Memoriam - Editor, Senior Moderator
Excerpt from CIDRAP report, june 2, 2014
Chile reports first imported case
In Chile, health officials have confirmed the country's first case, in a 49-year-old woman who had visited the Dominican Republic between Apr 29 and May 6, according to a ProMED Mail post today submitted by Cecilia Perret, MD, a pediatrician and infectious disease specialist in Santiago, Chile. ProMED Mail is the online reporting system of the International Society for Infectious Diseases.
Perret said on May 9 the patient came down with a low-grade fever and intense pain in her wrists, interphalangeal joints, ankles, and knees. The woman also had a rash on her limbs that lasted 2 days.
Perret said the first sample taken on day 2 of the patient's illness was negative for chikungunya and dengue, but an indirect immunofluorescence assay on day 6 was positive.
CIDRAP
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"Fortunately, there is no risk of ongoing transmission of CHIKV in Chile".
Promed Mail
Chile ex Dominican Republic
Date: Fri 30 May 2014
From: Cecilia Perret <cperret@med.puc.cl> [edited]
The 1st case of chikungunya fever was diagnosed in a Chilean traveler coming from Dominican Republic on 20 May [2014]. A woman, 49 years old, visited Dominican Republic between 29 Apr and 6 May [2014].
She visited several places including Santo Domingo, Punta Cana, Bavaro Beach, Bayahibe. She refers to having had many mosquito bites in a sector called Cuevas de las Maravillas located between Bayahibe and Santo Domingo. On 9 May [2014] she presented with a low degree fever and intense arthralgia in wrists, interphlangeal joints, ankles, and knees lasting up to today [30 May 2014]. In addition to these symptoms, she also presented with a rash mainly in limbs that lasted 2 days.
The diagnosis was made by a seroconversion of CHIKV [chikungunya virus] IgM by indirect immunofluorescence assay on day 6 of symptoms. The 1st sample on day 2 was negative for CHIKV. Dengue was ruled out by negative IgM tests performed on both samples. CHIKV infection diagnosis was performed in the virology laboratory of the Pontificia Universidad Catolica de Chile.
This case was notified to Chilean MOH and represents the 1st Chilean case of chikungunya [virus infection] diagnosed in travelers, highlighting the need to suspect this infection in travelers not only where CHIKV has been described but also where _Aedes aegypti_ is present because of the high risk of rapid dissemination of this arbovirus in Latin America.
--
Cecilia Perret, MD
Pediatrician and infectious diseases specialist
Associate Professor, Infectious Diseases and Virology Laboratory
School of Medicine
Pontificia Universidad Catolica de Chile
Santiago, Chile
<cperret@med.puc.cl>
This is yet another example of movement of pathogens to new geographic areas. Fortunately, there is no risk of ongoing transmission of CHIKV in Chile. Dr Cecilia Perret is thanked for this 1st-hand report. Mod TY .
Chile reports first imported case
In Chile, health officials have confirmed the country's first case, in a 49-year-old woman who had visited the Dominican Republic between Apr 29 and May 6, according to a ProMED Mail post today submitted by Cecilia Perret, MD, a pediatrician and infectious disease specialist in Santiago, Chile. ProMED Mail is the online reporting system of the International Society for Infectious Diseases.
Perret said on May 9 the patient came down with a low-grade fever and intense pain in her wrists, interphalangeal joints, ankles, and knees. The woman also had a rash on her limbs that lasted 2 days.
Perret said the first sample taken on day 2 of the patient's illness was negative for chikungunya and dengue, but an indirect immunofluorescence assay on day 6 was positive.
CIDRAP
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"Fortunately, there is no risk of ongoing transmission of CHIKV in Chile".
Promed Mail
Chile ex Dominican Republic
Date: Fri 30 May 2014
From: Cecilia Perret <cperret@med.puc.cl> [edited]
The 1st case of chikungunya fever was diagnosed in a Chilean traveler coming from Dominican Republic on 20 May [2014]. A woman, 49 years old, visited Dominican Republic between 29 Apr and 6 May [2014].
She visited several places including Santo Domingo, Punta Cana, Bavaro Beach, Bayahibe. She refers to having had many mosquito bites in a sector called Cuevas de las Maravillas located between Bayahibe and Santo Domingo. On 9 May [2014] she presented with a low degree fever and intense arthralgia in wrists, interphlangeal joints, ankles, and knees lasting up to today [30 May 2014]. In addition to these symptoms, she also presented with a rash mainly in limbs that lasted 2 days.
The diagnosis was made by a seroconversion of CHIKV [chikungunya virus] IgM by indirect immunofluorescence assay on day 6 of symptoms. The 1st sample on day 2 was negative for CHIKV. Dengue was ruled out by negative IgM tests performed on both samples. CHIKV infection diagnosis was performed in the virology laboratory of the Pontificia Universidad Catolica de Chile.
This case was notified to Chilean MOH and represents the 1st Chilean case of chikungunya [virus infection] diagnosed in travelers, highlighting the need to suspect this infection in travelers not only where CHIKV has been described but also where _Aedes aegypti_ is present because of the high risk of rapid dissemination of this arbovirus in Latin America.
--
Cecilia Perret, MD
Pediatrician and infectious diseases specialist
Associate Professor, Infectious Diseases and Virology Laboratory
School of Medicine
Pontificia Universidad Catolica de Chile
Santiago, Chile
<cperret@med.puc.cl>
This is yet another example of movement of pathogens to new geographic areas. Fortunately, there is no risk of ongoing transmission of CHIKV in Chile. Dr Cecilia Perret is thanked for this 1st-hand report. Mod TY .