title: Description of the first cases of Zika virus fever investigated in municipalities of the Brazilian Northeastern Region, 2015.
abstract: to confirm Zika virus circulation and discard other etiological agents in an outbreak occurred in the states of Rio Grande do Norte, Maranhão and Paraíba, in May, 2015.
  
  
  
  this is a case series descriptive study with residents in Natal-RN, Barra do Corda-MA, São Luis-MA and João Pessoa-PB, with 20 cases in each state, presenting rash, absent or mild fever and one of the following signs/symptoms: conjunctival hyperemia, arthralgia or limb edema; RT-PCR/isolation tests for Zika, enterovirus and respiratory viruses, and serology tests (dengue, rubella and parvovirus B19) were performed.
  
  
  
  the main symptoms were rash (n=60), pruritus (n=54), and arthralgia (n=47); 51 individuals did not present fever; Zika virus was identified in 18 cases (12 in Paraíba, four in Maranhão and two in Rio Grande do Norte), and antibodies to dengue, in 14 cases.
  
  
  
  the symptoms were consistent with Zika virus fever; there was laboratory confirmation for Zika and dengue.
authors.affiliation: Ministério da Saúde, Secretaria de Vigilância em Saúde, Brasília-DF, Brasil.
authors.forename: Francieli Fontana Sutile Tardetti
authors.initials: FF
authors.lastname: Fantinato
authors.affiliation: Ministério da Saúde, Secretaria de Vigilância em Saúde, Brasília-DF, Brasil.
authors.forename: Emerson Luiz Lima
authors.initials: EL
authors.lastname: Araújo
authors.affiliation: Ministério da Saúde, Secretaria de Vigilância em Saúde, Brasília-DF, Brasil.
authors.forename: Igor Gonçalves
authors.initials: IG
authors.lastname: Ribeiro
authors.affiliation: Ministério da Saúde, Secretaria de Vigilância em Saúde, Brasília-DF, Brasil.
authors.forename: Marcia Regina de
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Andrade
authors.affiliation: Secretaria de Estado da Saúde Pública do Rio Grande do Norte, Secretaria de Vigilância em Saúde, Natal-RN, Brasil.
authors.forename: Anna Livia de Medeiros
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: Dantas
authors.affiliation: Secretaria de Estado da Saúde do Maranhão, Centro de Informações Estratégicas em Vigilância em Saúde, São Luís-MA, Brasil.
authors.forename: Jakeline Maria Trinta
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Rios
authors.affiliation: Secretaria Municipal de Saúde de Barra do Corda, Vigilância Epidemiológica, Barra do Corda-MA, Brasil.
authors.forename: Odila Márcia Vinhas da
authors.initials: OM
authors.lastname: Silva
authors.affiliation: Secretaria Municipal de Saúde de São Luís, Coordenação de Vigilância Epidemiológica da Dengue e Chikungunya, São Luís-MA, Brasil.
authors.forename: Maria do Socorro da
authors.initials: MD
authors.lastname: Silva
authors.affiliation: Secretaria de Estado da Saúde da Paraíba, Coordenação-Geral de Vigilância em Saúde, João Pessoa-PB, Brasil.
authors.forename: Renata Valeria
authors.initials: RV
authors.lastname: Nóbrega
authors.affiliation: Secretaria Municipal de Saúde de João Pessoa, Coordenação de Vigilância Epidemiológica, João Pessoa-PB, Brasil.
authors.forename: Daniel de Araújo
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: Batista
authors.affiliation: Ministério da Saúde, Secretaria de Vigilância em Saúde, Brasília-DF, Brasil.
authors.forename: Priscila Leal E
authors.initials: PL
authors.lastname: Leite
authors.affiliation: Ministério da Saúde, Secretaria de Vigilância em Saúde, Brasília-DF, Brasil.
authors.forename: Eduardo
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Saad
authors.affiliation: Ministério da Saúde, Secretaria de Vigilância em Saúde, Brasília-DF, Brasil.
authors.forename: Jadher
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Percio
authors.affiliation: Ministério da Saúde, Secretaria de Vigilância em Saúde, Brasília-DF, Brasil.
authors.forename: Elionardo Andrade
authors.initials: EA
authors.lastname: Resende
authors.affiliation: Ministério da Saúde, Secretaria de Vigilância em Saúde, Brasília-DF, Brasil.
authors.forename: Priscila Bochi de
authors.initials: PB
authors.lastname: Souza
authors.affiliation: Ministério da Saúde, Secretaria de Vigilância em Saúde, Brasília-DF, Brasil.
authors.forename: Marcelo Yoshito
authors.initials: MY
authors.lastname: Wada
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001938:Brazil / Q000453:epidemiology; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D002947:Cities / Q000453:epidemiology; D003715:Dengue; D005076:Exanthema / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008875:Middle Aged; D063189:Symptom Assessment; D055815:Young Adult; D000071244:Zika Virus; D000071243:Zika Virus Infection / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology