Distribution of Zika virus infection specific IgG in Western province of Zambia: A population-based study

Zika virus (ZIKV) is a flavivirus that causes disease with similar but milder symptoms to dengue fever. There is no information on Zika virus infection in Zambia. Hence, the objective of the study was to determine the prevalence and correlates for Zika virus infection in Western province of Zambia. A cross-sectional study using a standardised questionnaire was conducted. Logistic regression analyses were conducted to determine factors associated with Zika virus infection. Out of 1824 respondents, 44.8% were males and 36.0% were aged below 15 years. Altogether, 10.2% of the participants had Zika virus infection. Factors associated with the infection were age and education. Participants aged less than 15 years were 53% (AOR=0.47, 95% CI [0.34, 0.65]) less likely to be infected compared to those aged 45 years or older. Compared to participants who had attained secondary or higher levels of education, those who had attained primary level of education were 1.28 (95% CI [1.04, 1.58]) times more likely to have the infection. Zika virus infection is prevalent among the residents of Western Province in Zambia. There is need to strengthen strategies to address the emerging challenge of Zika virus infection such as laboratory diagnostic capacities.