American Board of Internal Medicine (ABIM) Certification Practice Exam

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For what duration of symptoms should a patient be evaluated for Zika virus after travel?

1 week
2 weeks
3 weeks
4 weeks

The correct answer is: 2 weeks

A patient should be evaluated for Zika virus up to two weeks after travel if they develop symptoms. The clinical rationale behind this timeframe lies in the incubation period of the virus, which is typically around 3 to 12 days, with most symptoms appearing within one week after exposure. Patients often present with mild symptoms such as fever, rash, joint pain, and conjunctivitis, which can mimic other viral infections. Therefore, if a patient experiences these symptoms after recent travel to areas where Zika virus transmission is ongoing, a follow-up within this two-week period is crucial for timely diagnosis and management. Assessing for symptoms beyond two weeks may not be as significant for Zika, as the likelihood of the virus being the cause of any ongoing symptoms decreases after this duration. This makes the two-week window a critical period for evaluation regarding potential Zika infection following travel.