scholarly journals Risk estimates for microcephaly related to Zika virus infection - from French Polynesia to Bahia, Brazil

2016 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael A Johansson ◽  
Luis Mier-y-Teran-Romero ◽  
Jennita Reefhuis ◽  
Suzanne M Gilboa ◽  
Susan L Hills

Zika virus (ZIKV) infection during pregnancy has been linked to birth defects,1 yet the magnitude of risk remains uncertain. A study of the Zika outbreak in French Polynesia estimated that the risk of microcephaly due to ZIKV infection in the first trimester of pregnancy was 0.95% (95% confidence interval: 0.34-1.91%), based on eight microcephaly cases identified retrospectively in a population of approximately 270,000 people with an estimated 66% ZIKV infection rate.2

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anna S. Jaeger ◽  
Reyes A. Murreita ◽  
Lea R. Goren ◽  
Chelsea M. Crooks ◽  
Ryan V. Moriarty ◽  
...  

AbstractCongenital Zika virus (ZIKV) infection was first linked to birth defects during the American outbreak 1–3. It has been proposed that mutations unique to the Asian/American-genotype explain, at least in part, the ability of Asian/American ZIKV to cause congenital Zika syndrome (CZS) 4,5. Recent studies identified mutations in ZIKV infecting humans that arose coincident with the outbreak in French Polynesia and were stably maintained during subsequent spread to the Americas 5. Here we show that African ZIKV can infect and harm fetuses and that the S139N mutation that has been associated with the American outbreak is not essential for fetal harm. Our findings, in a vertical transmission mouse model, suggest that ZIKV will remain a threat to pregnant women for the foreseeable future, including in Africa, southeast Asia, and the Americas. Additional research is needed to better understand the risks associated with ZIKV infection during pregnancy, both in areas where the virus is newly endemic and where it has been circulating for decades.


Vaccines ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 7 (3) ◽  
pp. 72 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gustavo Cabral-Miranda ◽  
Stephanie M. Lim ◽  
Mona O. Mohsen ◽  
Ilya V. Pobelov ◽  
Elisa S. Roesti ◽  
...  

Zika virus (ZIKV) is a flavivirus similar to Dengue virus (DENV) in terms of transmission and clinical manifestations, and usually both viruses are found to co-circulate. ZIKV is usually transmitted by mosquitoes bites, but may also be transmitted by blood transfusion, via the maternal–foetal route, and sexually. After 2015, when the most extensive outbreak of ZIKV had occurred in Brazil and subsequently spread throughout the rest of South America, it became evident that ZIKV infection during the first trimester of pregnancy was associated with microcephaly and other neurological complications in newborns. As a result, the development of a vaccine against ZIKV became an urgent goal. A major issue with DENV vaccines, and therefore likely also with ZIKV vaccines, is the induction of antibodies that fail to neutralize the virus properly and cause antibody-dependent enhancement (ADE) of the infection instead. It has previously been shown that antibodies against the third domain of the envelope protein (EDIII) induces optimally neutralizing antibodies with no evidence for ADE for other viral strains. Therefore, we generated a ZIKV vaccine based on the EDIII domain displayed on the immunologically optimized Cucumber mosaic virus (CuMVtt) derived virus-like particles (VLPs) formulated in dioleoyl phosphatidylserine (DOPS) as adjuvant. The vaccine induced high levels of specific IgG after a single injection. The antibodies were able to neutralise ZIKV without enhancing infection by DENV in vitro. Thus, the here described vaccine based on EDIII displayed on VLPs was able to stimulate production of antibodies specifically neutralizing ZIKV without potentially enhancing disease caused by DENV.


Author(s):  
Maria-Lucia C. Lage ◽  
Alessandra Carvalho ◽  
Paloma Ventura ◽  
Tania Taguchi ◽  
Adriana Fernandes ◽  
...  

Zika virus (ZIKV) infection appeared in Brazil in 2015, causing an epidemic outbreak with increased rates of microcephaly and other serious birth disorders. We reviewed 102 cases of children who were diagnosed with microcephaly at birth and who had gestational exposure to ZIKV during the outbreak. We describe the clinical, neuroimaging, and neurophysiological findings. Most mothers (81%) reported symptoms of ZIKV infection, especially cutaneous rash, during the first trimester of pregnancy. The microcephaly was severe in 54.9% of the cases. All infants presented with brain malformations. The most frequent neuroimaging findings were cerebral atrophy (92.1%), ventriculomegaly (92.1%), malformation of cortical development (85.1%), and cortical–subcortical calcifications (80.2%). Abnormalities in neurological exams were found in 97.0% of the cases, epileptogenic activity in 56.3%, and arthrogryposis in 10.8% of the infants. The sensorineural screening suggested hearing loss in 17.3% and visual impairment in 14.1% of the infants. This group of infants who presented with microcephaly and whose mothers were exposed to ZIKV early during pregnancy showed clinical and radiological criteria for congenital ZIKV infection. A high frequency of brain abnormalities and signs of early neurological disorders were found, and epileptogenic activity and signs of sensorineural alterations were common. This suggests that microcephaly can be associated with a worst spectrum of neurological manifestations.


2020 ◽  
Vol 80 (01) ◽  
pp. 60-65 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alessandra Mendelski Pereira ◽  
Edward Araujo Júnior ◽  
Heron Werner ◽  
Denise Leite Maia Monteiro

Abstract Introduction Aim of the study was to evaluate the association between microcephaly and acute infection with Zika virus (ZIKV) in pregnant women in the state of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Infection was confirmed by laboratory testing. Materials and Methods A cross-sectional retrospective study of pregnant women with symptoms occurring between 2015 and 2016 suggestive of acute ZIKV infection was carried out, with confirmation of infection done by blood or urine RT-PCR. The relative proportions of categorical variables were calculated for two distinct groups: pregnant women whose newborns had microcephaly and pregnant women who gave birth to infants without microcephaly. Confidence intervals with a 95% level of agreement were estimated for the relative ratios. Results A total of 1609 pregnant women with a mean age of 26.4 ± 6.5 years were evaluated. As regards the time of acute infection, 19.6% (316) of cases occurred in the first trimester of pregnancy. Nineteen (76%) of the 25 cases with microcephaly (1.5%) were associated with an infection contracted in the first trimester of pregnancy (p < 0.001, OR = 13.7, 95% CI: 5.6 – 37.7). 48% (12/25) of the newborns with microcephaly had a birth weight of < 2500 grams, while only 7% (116/1597) of the group of newborns without microcephaly had a similarly low birth weight (p < 0.001, OR = 11.7, 95% CI: 5.2 – 26.2). Logistic regression showed that a birth weight of < 2500 g (OR = 12.54) and ZIKV infection in the first trimester of pregnancy (OR = 14.05) were associated with microcephaly (area under ROC curve = 0.86). Conclusion Acute ZIKV infection in the first trimester of pregnancy and low birth weight are associated with microcephaly.


2019 ◽  
Vol 6 (Supplement_2) ◽  
pp. S992-S992
Author(s):  
Sarah Pellerin ◽  
Anna Louise Funk ◽  
Benoit Tressières ◽  
Stéphanie Guyomard ◽  
Fatiha Najioullah ◽  
...  

Abstract Background Adverse fetal outcomes and infant birth defects may develop following Zika virus (ZIKV) infection during pregnancy, especially if this occurs in the first trimester. The aim of this study was to assess the relationship between plasma ZIKV load at the time of acute symptoms and (1) the rate and severity of birth defects in neonates born to mothers who had presented with ZIKV infection during pregnancy, and (2) clinical severity of maternal ZIKV infection. Methods Within a cohort of pregnant women living in the French territories in the Americas and exposed to ZIKV during the 2016 outbreak, we analyzed the data of women who developed a symptomatic infection confirmed by a positive plasma ZIKV RT–PCR, using the RealStar Zika virus RT–PCR Kit (Altona Diagnostics, Hamburg, Germany). Plasma ZIKV load quantification was based on the number of cycle times (CT) at which ZIKV RNA was detected (lower CTs indicating a higher viral load). Variables indicating clinical severity of infection included the number of symptoms experienced and the severity of rash. Birth defects possibly linked to ZIKV infection were defined as microcephaly, brain imaging abnormalities, and central nervous system dysfunction. Multivariable logistic regression was used to examine whether potentially ZIKV-related abnormalities were linked to changes in CT, and multivariable linear regression was used to identify clinical correlates with CT value. Results Of the 277 live-born neonates who were born to mothers who met the selection criteria, 15 (5.4%) had abnormalities possibly linked to ZIKV infection. The median (IQR) ZIKV RT–PCR CT values were similar, with 31.4 (29.3–33.2) and 31.8 (30.0–33.0), in women delivering normal neonates and those delivering neonates with defects, respectively (OR: 1.04, P = 0.685). Plasma ZIKV load was lower with every day since first symptom onset, and higher with each additional symptom experienced, as indicated by changes in CT of 0.3 (95% CI: 0.2 ‒ 0.5, P < .001) and −0.3 (95% CI: −0.5 ‒ −0.1, P = 0.002) for each unit, respectively. Conclusion No relationship was observed between plasma ZIKV load and abnormal pregnancy outcomes but higher plasma ZIKV load was associated with a more recent and severe maternal ZIKV infection. Disclosures All authors: No reported disclosures.


2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Abhay P. S. Rathore ◽  
Wilfried A. A. Saron ◽  
Ting Lim ◽  
Nusrat Jahan ◽  
Ashley L. St John

AbstractZika virus (ZIKV), a recently emerged flaviviral pathogen, has been linked to microcephaly in neonates1. Yet, it is not understood why some fetuses develop severe microcephaly due to maternal ZIKV infection while others do not. The risk for ZIKV-induced microcephaly is greatest during the first trimester of pregnancy in humans2,3, yet this alone cannot account for the varied presentation of microcephaly observed. Given the antigenic similarity between ZIKV and closely related dengue virus (DENV)4, combined with the substantial immunity to DENV in ZIKV target populations in recent outbreaks, we hypothesized that maternal antibodies against DENV could promote ZIKV-induced microcephaly. Here, using immune-competent mice, we show that maternal to fetal transmission of ZIKV occurs, leading to fetal infection and disproportionate microcephaly. DENV-specific antibodies in pregnant female mice enhance vertical transmission of infection and result in a severe microcephaly like-syndrome during ZIKV infection. Furthermore, fetal infection was promoted by the neonatal Fc receptor (FcRN). Our results identify a novel immune-mediated mechanism of vertical transmission of viral infection and raise caution since ZIKV epidemic regions are also endemic to DENV.


Author(s):  
Wanderson Kleber de Oliveira ◽  
Juan Cortez-Escalante ◽  
Wanessa Tenório Gonçalves Holanda De Oliveira ◽  
Greice Madeleine Ikeda do Carmo ◽  
Cláudio Maierovitch Pessanha Henriques ◽  
...  

2016 ◽  
Vol 65 (9) ◽  
pp. 242-247 ◽  
Author(s):  
Wanderson Kleber de Oliveira ◽  
Juan Cortez-Escalante ◽  
Wanessa Tenório Gonçalves Holanda De Oliveira ◽  
Greice Madeleine Ikeda do Carmo ◽  
Cláudio Maierovitch Pessanha Henriques ◽  
...  

Viruses ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (2) ◽  
pp. 325
Author(s):  
Julia A. Gomes ◽  
Eduarda Sgarioni ◽  
Juliano A. Boquett ◽  
Ana Cláudia P. Terças-Trettel ◽  
Juliana H. da Silva ◽  
...  

Zika virus (ZIKV) causes Congenital Zika Syndrome (CZS) in individuals exposed prenatally. Here, we investigated polymorphisms in VEGFA, PTGS2, NOS3, TNF, and NOS2 genes as risk factors to CZS. Forty children with CZS and forty-eight children who were in utero exposed to ZIKV infection, but born without congenital anomalies, were evaluated. Children with CZS were predominantly infected by ZIKV in the first trimester (p < 0.001) and had mothers with lower educational level (p < 0.001) and family income (p < 0.001). We found higher risk of CZS due the allele rs2297518[A] of NOS2 (OR = 2.28, CI 95% 1.17–4.50, p = 0.015). T allele and TT/CT genotypes of the TNF rs1799724 and haplotypes associated with higher expression of TNF were more prevalent in children with CZS and severe microcephaly (p = 0.029, p = 0.041 and p = 0.030, respectively). Our findings showed higher risk of CZS due ZIKV infection in the first trimester and suggested that polymorphisms in NOS2 and TNF genes affect the risk of CZS and severe microcephaly.


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