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  1. Case Definitions/

Open Syndrome Zika

Authors: PAHO

Location: Americas

Purpose #

The definition #

Patient with rash* with two or more of the following signs or symptoms:

fever, usually <38.5 ° C
conjunctivitis (non-purulent/hyperemic)
arthralgia
myalgia
peri-articular edema

*usually pruritic and maculopapular

Machine-readable definition #

The definition is available in JSON format following the Open Syndrome v1.0 specification:

{
   "category": "suspected",
   "definition_type": "case_definition",
   "description": "",
   "human_readable_definition": "Patient with rash* with two or more of the following signs or symptoms:\n\n    fever, usually \u0026lt;38.5 ° C\n    conjunctivitis (non-purulent/hyperemic)\n    arthralgia\n    myalgia\n    peri-articular edema\n\n*usually pruritic and maculopapular",
   "inclusion_criteria": [
     {
       "logical_operator": "AND",
       "type": "criterion",
       "values": [
         {
           "description": "Usually pruritic and maculopapular",
           "name": "Rash",
           "type": "symptom"
         },
         {
           "logical_operator": "AT_LEAST",
           "logical_operator_arguments": [
             2
           ],
           "type": "criterion",
           "values": [
             {
               "attribute": "body_temperature",
               "name": "Fever",
               "operator": "\u003e=",
               "type": "symptom",
               "unit": "Celsius",
               "value": 38.5
             },
             {
               "name": "Conjunctivitis (non-purulent/hyperemic)",
               "type": "symptom"
             },
             {
               "name": "Arthralgia",
               "type": "symptom"
             },
             {
               "name": "Myalgia",
               "type": "symptom"
             },
             {
               "name": "Peri-articular edema",
               "type": "symptom"
             }
           ]
         }
       ]
     }
   ],
   "keywords": [
     "Zika virus"
   ],
   "language": "English",
   "location": "Americas",
   "open_syndrome_version": "1.0.0",
   "organization": "PAHO",
   "published_at": "2025-02-08T18:05:28Z",
   "published_by": [
     "Open Syndrome Initiative"
   ],
   "published_in": "https://opensyndrome.org",
   "references": [
     {
       "url": "https://www.paho.org/en/topics/zika/zika-resources-case-definitions"
     }
   ],
   "scope": "broad",
   "status": "draft",
   "target_public_health_threats": [
     "Zika virus"
   ],
   "title": "Open Syndrome Zika",
   "version": "1.0.0"
 }

Using the Definition #

Healthcare organizations can implement this definition through:

  • Direct integration with surveillance systems
  • API endpoints for real-time validation
  • Manual case verification processes

Next Steps #

We encourage:

  • Clinical feedback on the definition criteria
  • Technical feedback on the implementation format
  • Suggestions for additional symptoms or signs
  • Reports of implementation experiences

Get Involved #

We welcome contributions and feedback from the community.