Concurrent Transmission of Zika Virus During the 2023 Dengue Outbreak in Bangladesh

Abstract Background During the 2023-dengue outbreak in Bangladesh, a diagnostic evaluation study was conducted to investigate concurrent Zika virus (ZIKV) and dengue virus (DENV) transmission in Dhaka in 2023. Aims The study explored to simultaneously detect the presence of ZIKV, DENV, and/or CHIKV while considering relevant clinical and epidemiological risk factors, using a real-time multiplex RT-PCR system. Following this, it was planned to sequence the selected samples to identify genetic variations of the ZIKV infections within the population. Methods This study was designed as a diagnostic evaluation, where participants meeting the inclusion criteria were prospectively recruited with written informed consent. A total of 399 febrile individuals were screened, with 185 meeting the inclusion criteria of having a fever onset within…