First published report of Zika virus infection in people: Simpson, not MacNamara
2016; Elsevier BV; Volume: 17; Issue: 1 Linguagem: Inglês
10.1016/s1473-3099(16)30525-4
ISSN1474-4457
AutoresNitwara Wikan, Duncan R. Smith,
Tópico(s)COVID-19 epidemiological studies
ResumoThe ongoing outbreak of Zika virus infections around the world has prompted extensive review of the origins and history of this mosquito-transmitted virus. Although the original isolation of the virus from a rhesus monkey and subsequently from mosquitoes in the same area of Uganda is not under debate, some discrepancy exists as to which report in the scientific literature described the first human infection. Here, we present the evidence from the scientific literature that shows that the first reported case of human infection of Zika virus also occurred in Uganda. Since 2015, more than 70 countries and territories have reported local Zika virus transmission.1WHOCountries and territories reporting mosquito-borne Zika virus transmission.http://www.who.int/emergencies/zika-virus/situation-report/6Oct2016.pdf?ua=1Date: 2016Google Scholar The emergence of an otherwise previously obscure mosquito-transmitted flavivirus has resulted in an explosion in the publication of scientific articles, commentaries, and opinion pieces, with more than 1300 articles published in 2016 to date (Oct 6, 2016) compared with fewer than 150 articles in the past 60 years. Several publications,2Mo Y Alferez Salada BM Tambyah PA Zika virus-a review for clinicians.Br Med Bull. 2016; 119: 25-36Crossref PubMed Scopus (12) Google Scholar, 3Musso D Gubler DJ Zika virus.Clin Microbiol Rev. 2016; 29: 487-524Crossref PubMed Scopus (970) Google Scholar, 4Petersen LR Jamieson DJ Powers AM Honein MA Zika virus.N Engl J Med. 2016; 374: 1552-1563Crossref PubMed Scopus (887) Google Scholar, 5Saiz JC Vazquez-Calvo A Blazquez AB Merino-Ramos T Escribano-Romero E Martin-Acebes MA Zika virus: the latest newcomer.Front Microbiol. 2016; 7: 496PubMed Google Scholar, 6Wikan N Smith DR Zika virus: history of a newly emerging arbovirus.Lancet Infect Dis. 2016; 16: e119-e126Summary Full Text Full Text PDF PubMed Scopus (268) Google Scholar including our own, serve to provide comprehensive overviews of the history and emergence of Zika virus. Although the initial isolation and characterisation of Zika virus from a sentinel monkey and subsequently from mosquitoes in Zika Forest, Uganda, is unquestioned,7Dick GW Kitchen SF Haddow AJ Zika virus. I. Isolations and serological specificity.Trans R Soc Trop Med Hyg. 1952; 46: 509-520Summary Full Text PDF PubMed Scopus (1854) Google Scholar the first reported case(s) of Zika virus infection of human beings is less clear. Some authors2Mo Y Alferez Salada BM Tambyah PA Zika virus-a review for clinicians.Br Med Bull. 2016; 119: 25-36Crossref PubMed Scopus (12) Google Scholar, 3Musso D Gubler DJ Zika virus.Clin Microbiol Rev. 2016; 29: 487-524Crossref PubMed Scopus (970) Google Scholar, 4Petersen LR Jamieson DJ Powers AM Honein MA Zika virus.N Engl J Med. 2016; 374: 1552-1563Crossref PubMed Scopus (887) Google Scholar, 5Saiz JC Vazquez-Calvo A Blazquez AB Merino-Ramos T Escribano-Romero E Martin-Acebes MA Zika virus: the latest newcomer.Front Microbiol. 2016; 7: 496PubMed Google Scholar ascribe the first case of human Zika virus infection to the report by MacNamara,8MacNamara FN Zika virus: a report on three cases of human infection during an epidemic of jaundice in Nigeria.Trans R Soc Trop Med Hyg. 1954; 48: 139-145Summary Full Text PDF PubMed Scopus (511) Google Scholar while others, including ourselves6Wikan N Smith DR Zika virus: history of a newly emerging arbovirus.Lancet Infect Dis. 2016; 16: e119-e126Summary Full Text Full Text PDF PubMed Scopus (268) Google Scholar ascribe the first case to the report by Simpson. The report by MacNamara8MacNamara FN Zika virus: a report on three cases of human infection during an epidemic of jaundice in Nigeria.Trans R Soc Trop Med Hyg. 1954; 48: 139-145Summary Full Text PDF PubMed Scopus (511) Google Scholar is titled "Zika virus: a report on three cases of human infection during an epidemic of jaundice in Nigeria" and was published in 1954, whereas the paper by Simpson (Zika virus infection in man)9Simpson DI Zika Virus Infection in Man.Trans R Soc Trop Med Hyg. 1964; 58: 335-338Summary Full Text PDF PubMed Scopus (343) Google Scholar was published a full decade later in 1964. How then can there be disagreement as to the first report of human Zika virus infection? The resolution of this issue is within the report by Simpson9Simpson DI Zika Virus Infection in Man.Trans R Soc Trop Med Hyg. 1964; 58: 335-338Summary Full Text PDF PubMed Scopus (343) Google Scholar who wrote "The only reports of isolation of Zika virus from man are those of MacNamara (1954) and Bearcroft (1956) in West Africa. The virus isolated by these workers has since been identified as close to, if not identical with, Spondweni virus under the strain name CHUKU by Clarke (pers. comm.)". Moore and colleagues10Moore DL Causey OR Carey DE et al.Arthropod-borne viral infections of man in Nigeria, 1964–1970.Ann Trop Med Parasitol. 1975; 69: 49-64Crossref PubMed Scopus (247) Google Scholar further supported this misidentification of the virus identified by MacNamara8MacNamara FN Zika virus: a report on three cases of human infection during an epidemic of jaundice in Nigeria.Trans R Soc Trop Med Hyg. 1954; 48: 139-145Summary Full Text PDF PubMed Scopus (511) Google Scholar and Bearcroft11Bearcroft WG Zika virus infection experimentally induced in a human volunteer.Trans R Soc Trop Med Hyg. 1956; 50: 442-448Summary Full Text PDF PubMed Scopus (3) Google Scholar saying in their discussion that "Zika virus, the cause of mild febrile illness in Uganda (Simpson, 1964) and Senegal (Y. Robin, personal communication), has not previously been isolated in Nigeria. An isolate reported by MacNamara (1954b) as Zika virus was later identified as Spondweni (Boorman and Draper, 1968)". In their report, Boorman and Draper12Boorman JP Draper CC Isolations of arboviruses in the Lagos area of Nigeria, and a survey of antibodies to them in man and animals.Trans R Soc Trop Med Hyg. 1968; 62: 269-277Summary Full Text PDF PubMed Scopus (35) Google Scholar clearly indicate in the introduction that the virus isolated by Macnamara8MacNamara FN Zika virus: a report on three cases of human infection during an epidemic of jaundice in Nigeria.Trans R Soc Trop Med Hyg. 1954; 48: 139-145Summary Full Text PDF PubMed Scopus (511) Google Scholar was Sponweni virus, albeit initially (mis)identified as Zika virus. The misidentification of Spondweni virus as Zika virus by both MacNamara8MacNamara FN Zika virus: a report on three cases of human infection during an epidemic of jaundice in Nigeria.Trans R Soc Trop Med Hyg. 1954; 48: 139-145Summary Full Text PDF PubMed Scopus (511) Google Scholar and Bearcroft11Bearcroft WG Zika virus infection experimentally induced in a human volunteer.Trans R Soc Trop Med Hyg. 1956; 50: 442-448Summary Full Text PDF PubMed Scopus (3) Google Scholar is also clearly indicated in the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Arbovirus Catalog entry for Zika virus:13CDCZika.https://wwwn.cdc.gov/arbocat/VirusDetails.aspx?ID=536&SID=14Date: 1985Google Scholar "The virus reported as Zika (MacNamara, F.N. 1954. Trans. R. Soc. Trop. Med. Hyg. 48:139 and Bearcroft, W.G.C. 1956. Trans. R. Soc. Trop. Med. Hyg. 50:442) on subsequent study by Dr. Delphine Clarke was found to be more closely related, if not identical, to Spondweni virus. It was referred to by the strain name of 'CHUKU'". Additionally, differences exist between the manifestations of infection as reported by MacNamara and by Bearcroft (in the experimental infection of himself) and as reported by Simpson as a consequence of natural infection.8MacNamara FN Zika virus: a report on three cases of human infection during an epidemic of jaundice in Nigeria.Trans R Soc Trop Med Hyg. 1954; 48: 139-145Summary Full Text PDF PubMed Scopus (511) Google Scholar, 9Simpson DI Zika Virus Infection in Man.Trans R Soc Trop Med Hyg. 1964; 58: 335-338Summary Full Text PDF PubMed Scopus (343) Google Scholar, 11Bearcroft WG Zika virus infection experimentally induced in a human volunteer.Trans R Soc Trop Med Hyg. 1956; 50: 442-448Summary Full Text PDF PubMed Scopus (3) Google Scholar In particular, the disease reported by Simpson was associated with a "diffuse pink maculopapular rash which covered the face, neck, trunk and upper arms",9Simpson DI Zika Virus Infection in Man.Trans R Soc Trop Med Hyg. 1964; 58: 335-338Summary Full Text PDF PubMed Scopus (343) Google Scholar whereas no such rash was reported by either MacNamara8MacNamara FN Zika virus: a report on three cases of human infection during an epidemic of jaundice in Nigeria.Trans R Soc Trop Med Hyg. 1954; 48: 139-145Summary Full Text PDF PubMed Scopus (511) Google Scholar or Bearcroft.11Bearcroft WG Zika virus infection experimentally induced in a human volunteer.Trans R Soc Trop Med Hyg. 1956; 50: 442-448Summary Full Text PDF PubMed Scopus (3) Google Scholar Such a rash is a common consequence of Zika virus infection. In summary, therefore, the published and available scientific literature is clear. The first reported case of human infection with Zika virus occurred in Uganda in 1962–63 as reported in 1964 by Simpson9Simpson DI Zika Virus Infection in Man.Trans R Soc Trop Med Hyg. 1964; 58: 335-338Summary Full Text PDF PubMed Scopus (343) Google Scholar and not a decade earlier in Nigeria as reported by MacNamara.8MacNamara FN Zika virus: a report on three cases of human infection during an epidemic of jaundice in Nigeria.Trans R Soc Trop Med Hyg. 1954; 48: 139-145Summary Full Text PDF PubMed Scopus (511) Google Scholar Somewhat ironically, the patient reported on in the Simpson paper9Simpson DI Zika Virus Infection in Man.Trans R Soc Trop Med Hyg. 1964; 58: 335-338Summary Full Text PDF PubMed Scopus (343) Google Scholar was the author himself, and thus the first published report of Zika virus infection in a human being was (literally) Simpson and not (the cases reported by) MacNamara. We declare no competing interests.
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