We describe the dynamics of Zika virus (ZIKV) infection in a man in his early 40s who developed fever and rash after returning from Haiti to Italy, in January 2016. Follow-up laboratory testing demonstrated detectable ZIKV RNA in plasma up to day 9 after symptom onset and in urine and saliva up to days 15 and 47, respectively. Notably, persistent shedding of ZIKV RNA was demonstrated in semen, still detectable at 181 days after onset.
Keywords: emerging or re-emerging diseases; imported viral diseases; laboratory surveillance; molecular methods; sexually transmitted infections; vector-borne infections.
This article is copyright of The Authors, 2016.