scholarly journals Preventing Zika virus infection during pregnancy by timing conception seasonally

2016 ◽  
Author(s):  
Micaela E Martinez-Bakker
Keyword(s):  
Zika Virus ◽  
Fetal Death ◽  
Viral Infections ◽  
World Health ◽  
Zikv Infection ◽  
Transmission Season ◽  
In Trans ◽  
Congenital Microcephaly ◽  
Health Organization ◽  
Cns Malformations

It has come to light that Zika virus (ZIKV) infection during pregnancy can result in trans-placental transmission to the fetus along with fetal death, congenital microcephaly and/or Central Nervous System (CNS) malformations. There are projected to be > 9, 200, 000 births annually in countries with ongoing ZIKV transmission. In response to the ZIKV threat, the World Health Organization (WHO) is strategically targeting prevention of infection in pregnant women and funding contraception in epidemic regions. I propose that the damaging effects of ZIKV can be reduced by timing pregnancy seasonally to minimize maternal exposure. Like other acute viral infections—including the related flavivirus, dengue virus (DENV)—the transmission of ZIKV is anticipated to be seasonal. By seasonally planning pregnancy, this aspect of pathogen ecology can be leveraged to align sensitive periods of gestation with the low-transmission season.

scholarly journals Preventing Zika virus infection during pregnancy by timing conception seasonally

2016 ◽  
Author(s):  
Micaela E Martinez-Bakker
Keyword(s):  
Zika Virus ◽  
Fetal Death ◽  
Viral Infections ◽  
World Health ◽  
Zikv Infection ◽  
Transmission Season ◽  
In Trans ◽  
Congenital Microcephaly ◽  
Health Organization ◽  
Cns Malformations

It has come to light that Zika virus (ZIKV) infection during pregnancy can result in trans-placental transmission to the fetus along with fetal death, congenital microcephaly and/or Central Nervous System (CNS) malformations. There are projected to be > 9, 200, 000 births annually in countries with ongoing ZIKV transmission. In response to the ZIKV threat, the World Health Organization (WHO) is strategically targeting prevention of infection in pregnant women and funding contraception in epidemic regions. I propose that the damaging effects of ZIKV can be reduced by timing pregnancy seasonally to minimize maternal exposure. Like other acute viral infections—including the related flavivirus, dengue virus (DENV)—the transmission of ZIKV is anticipated to be seasonal. By seasonally planning pregnancy, this aspect of pathogen ecology can be leveraged to align sensitive periods of gestation with the low-transmission season.

scholarly journals Zika Virus Infection in Tourists Travelling to Thailand: Case Series Report

2020 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
pp. 3
Author(s):  
Natàlia Romaní ◽  
Marie Antoinette Frick ◽  
Elena Sulleiro ◽  
Carlota Rodó ◽  
María Espiau ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Zika Virus ◽  
Clinical Signs ◽  
Case Series ◽  
World Health ◽  
Prenatally Exposed ◽  
Zikv Infection ◽  
Case Series Report ◽  
Vector Borne ◽  
Health Organization ◽  
Health Care Monitoring

Thailand is a popular tourist destination where Zika virus (ZIKV) transmission is currently active. To our knowledge, there are no reports of ZIKV infection imported from Thailand and affecting children. Here, we describe the clinical and microbiological findings in three cases of vector-borne ZIKV infection: An 11-year-old boy, a 2-year-old girl, and her pregnant mother, this last case leading to the prenatal exposure of her second baby to ZIKV in the second trimester of pregnancy. All patients were diagnosed after traveling to Thailand between September 2019 and January 2020. No complications were detected in any patient at follow-up, and the prenatally exposed fetus showed no abnormalities during intensive antenatal health care monitoring. On postnatal study, there were no clinical signs or microbiological findings of mother-to-child ZIKV transmission. ZIKV IgG was initially positive, but seroreversion occurred at 4 months of life. This report describes the clinical and serological evolution of vector-borne ZIKV infection occurring in dengue-naïve tourists returning from Thailand. The World Health Organization currently recommends that pre-travel advice to prevent arbovirus infection should be maintained in travelers to Southeast Asia.

scholarly journals Implications of Zika virus and congenital Zika syndrome for the number of live births in Brazil

2018 ◽  
Vol 115 (24) ◽  
pp. 6177-6182 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marcia C. Castro ◽  
Qiuyi C. Han ◽  
Lucas R. Carvalho ◽  
Cesar G. Victora ◽  
Giovanny V. A. França
Keyword(s):  
Zika Virus ◽  
Fetal Death ◽  
Social Inequalities ◽  
World Health ◽  
Death Rates ◽  
Live Births ◽  
Abortion Complications ◽  
Congenital Zika Syndrome ◽  
Health Organization ◽  
The Impact

An increase in microcephaly, associated with an epidemic of Zika virus (ZIKV) in Brazil, prompted the World Health Organization to declare a Public Health Emergency of International Concern in February 2016. While knowledge on biological and epidemiological aspects of ZIKV has advanced, demographic impacts remain poorly understood. This study uses time-series analysis to assess the impact of ZIKV on births. Data on births, fetal deaths, and hospitalizations due to abortion complications for Brazilian states, from 2010 to 2016, were used. Forecasts for September 2015 to December 2016 showed that 119,095 fewer births than expected were observed, particularly after April 2016 (a reduction significant at 0.05), demonstrating a link between publicity associated with the ZIKV epidemic and the decline in births. No significant changes were observed in fetal death rates. Although no significant increases in hospitalizations were forecasted, after the ZIKV outbreak hospitalizations happened earlier in the gestational period in most states. We argue that postponement of pregnancy and an increase in abortions may have contributed to the decline in births. Also, it is likely that an increase in safe abortions happened, albeit selective by socioeconomic status. Thus, the ZIKV epidemic resulted in a generation of congenital Zika syndrome (CZS) babies that reflect and exacerbate regional and social inequalities. Since ZIKV transmission has declined, it is unlikely that reductions in births will continue. However, the possibility of a new epidemic is real. There is a need to address gaps in reproductive health and rights, and to understand CZS risk to better inform conception decisions.

Zika Virus and the Water Supply Chain

2018 ◽  
Vol 3 (04) ◽  
Author(s):  
Chakaela N Turner
Keyword(s):  
Zika Virus ◽  
Neurological Complications ◽  
Subcortical White Matter ◽  
World Health ◽  
Autoimmune Response ◽  
Response Measure ◽  
Zikv Infection ◽  
The World ◽  
Polymerase Chain ◽  
Health Organization

Recently, an epidemic broke out in South America, more specifically Brazil, which is harmful to women baring a child. This epidemic originally began in West Africa. This concern is associated with the increased incident of microcephaly in newborns to mothers infected by the virus. An ultrasound performed at 29 weeks of development uncovered microcephaly with calcifications in the fetal mind and placenta (Miaker, 2016). After the mother asked for a termination of the pregnancy, a fetal post-mortem examination was performed. Microcephaly was seen with verging multifocal dystrophic calcifications in the cortex and subcortical white matter, with related cortical dislodging and gentle central irritation. Zika Virus, or ZIKV, was found in the fetal cerebrum tissue on converse transcriptase–polymerase-chain-response measure, with predictable discoveries on electron microscopy. The complete genome of the virus was recuperated from the fetal mind (Miaker, 2016). The outbreak of “Guillian-Barre Syndrome, [a condition in which the immune system attacks the nerves], and Microcephaly, [meaning little cerebrum], have led the World Health Organization to declare a global health emergency. Gangliosides are crucial in brain development, and their expression correlates with neurogenesis, synaptogenesis, synaptic transmission, and cell proliferation. Targeting the autoimmune response to gangliosides may represent an underexploited opportunity to examine the increased incidence of neurological complications related to ZIKV infection” (Anaya et al., 2016). The purpose of this literature review is to determine the effects of the ZIKV on the nervous system in humans and across other species; we will also determine how Gullain-Barre Syndrome, or GBS, and Microcephaly are developed, and a probable cure to ZIKV.

Therapeutic Applications of Peptides against Zika Virus: A Review

2020 ◽  
Vol 27 (23) ◽  
pp. 3906-3923
Author(s):  
Preeti Karwal ◽  
Ishwar Dutt Vats ◽  
Niharika Sinha ◽  
Anchal Singhal ◽  
Teena Sehgal ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Zika Virus ◽  
Vaccine Development ◽  
Safety Concern ◽  
Human Life ◽  
World Health ◽  
Global Public Health ◽  
Therapeutic Molecules ◽  
Congenital Microcephaly ◽  
Health Organization ◽  
Ns3 Protease

Zika Virus (ZIKV) belongs to the class of flavivirus that can be transmitted by Aedes mosquitoes. The number of Zika virus caused cases of acute infections, neurological disorders and congenital microcephaly are rapidly growing and therefore, in 2016, the World Health Organization declared a global “Public Health Emergency of International Concern”. Anti-ZIKV therapeutic and vaccine development strategies are growing worldwide in recent years, however, no specific and safe treatment is available till date to save the human life. Currently, development of peptide therapeutics against ZIKV has attracted rising attention on account of their high safety concern and low development cost, in comparison to small therapeutic molecules and antibody-based anti-viral drugs. In present review, an overview of ZIKV inhibition by peptide-based inhibitors including E-protein derived peptides, antimicrobial peptides, frog skin peptides and probiotic peptides has been discussed. Peptides inhibitors have also been reported to act against NS5, NS2B-NS3 protease and proteasome in order to inhibit ZIKV infection. Recent advances in peptide-based therapeutics and vaccine have been reviewed and their future promise against ZIKV infections has been explored.

scholarly journals Exploring miRNAs as the key to understand symptoms induced by ZIKA virus infection through a collaborative database.

2016 ◽  
Author(s):  
Victor Pylro ◽  
Francislon Oliveira ◽  
Daniel Morais ◽  
Sara Orellana ◽  
Fabiano Pais ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Gene Expression ◽  
Zika Virus ◽  
Human Gene ◽  
Noncoding Rnas ◽  
World Health ◽  
Translational Repression ◽  
Zikv Infection ◽  
Small Noncoding Rnas ◽  
Congenital Zika Syndrome ◽  
Health Organization

In early 2015, a ZIKA Virus (ZIKV) infection outbreak was recognized in northeast Brazil, where concerns over its possible links with infant microcephaly have been discussed. Providing a definitive link between ZIKV infection and birth defects is still a big challenge. MicroRNAs (miRNAs), are small noncoding RNAs that regulating post-transcriptional gene expression by translational repression, and play important roles in viral pathogenesis and brain development. The potential for flavivirus-mediated miRNA signaling dysfunction in brain-tissue develop provides a compelling mechanism underlying perceived linked between ZIKV and microcephaly. Here, we provide novel evidences toward to understand the mechanism in which miRNAs can be linked to the congenital ZIKA syndrome symptoms. Moreover, following World Health Organization (WHO) recommendations, we have assembled a database to help target mechanistic investigations of this possible relationship between ZIKV symptoms and miRNA mediated human gene expression, helping to foster potential targets for therapy.

scholarly journals Zika Virus-Specific IgY Results Are Therapeutic Following a Lethal Zika Virus Challenge without Inducing Antibody-Dependent Enhancement

Viruses ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (3) ◽  
pp. 301 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kyle O’Donnell ◽  
Bernadette Meberg ◽  
James Schiltz ◽  
Matthew Nilles ◽  
David Bradley
Keyword(s):  
Zika Virus ◽  
Denv Infection ◽  
Western Hemisphere ◽  
World Health ◽  
Zikv Infection ◽  
Antibody Dependent Enhancement ◽  
Virus Challenge ◽  
Health Organization

The Zika virus (ZIKV) is a newly emerged pathogen in the Western hemisphere. It was declared a global health emergency by the World Health Organization in 2016. There have been 223,477 confirmed cases, including 3720 congenital syndrome cases since 2015. ZIKV infection symptoms range from asymptomatic to Gullain–Barré syndrome and extensive neuropathology in infected fetuses. Passive and active vaccines have been unsuccessful in the protection from or the treatment of flaviviral infections due to antibody-dependent enhancement (ADE). ADE causes an increased viral load due to an increased monocyte opsonization by non-neutralizing, low-avidity antibodies from a previous dengue virus (DENV) infection or from a previous exposure to ZIKV. We have previously demonstrated that polyclonal avian IgY generated against whole-killed DENV-2 ameliorates DENV infection in mice while not inducing ADE. This is likely due to the inability of the Fc portion of IgY to bind to mammalian Fc receptors. We have shown here that ZIKV oligoclonal IgY is able to neutralize the virus in vitro and in IFNAR−/− mice. The concentration of ZIKV-specific IgY yielding 50% neutralization (NT50) was 25 µg/mL. The exposure of the ZIKV, prior to culture with ZIKV-specific IgY or 4G2 flavivirus-enveloped IgG, demonstrated that the ZIKV-specific IgY does not induce ADE. ZIKV IgY was protective in vivo when administered following a lethal ZIKV challenge in 3-week-old IFNAR−/− mice. We propose polyclonal ZIKV-specific IgY may provide a viable passive immunotherapy for a ZIKV infection without inducing ADE.

scholarly journals Zika virus infection as a cause of congenital brain abnormalities and Guillain-Barré syndrome: A living systematic review

F1000Research ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 8 ◽  
pp. 1433 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michel Jacques Counotte ◽  
Kaspar Walter Meili ◽  
Katayoun Taghavi ◽  
Guilherme Calvet ◽  
James Sejvar ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Systematic Review ◽  
Zika Virus ◽  
Causal Relation ◽  
Case Control ◽  
Adverse Outcomes ◽  
World Health ◽  
Case Control Studies ◽  
Zikv Infection ◽  
Health Organization ◽  
Strength Of Association

Background: The Zika virus (ZIKV) caused a large outbreak in the Americas leading to the declaration of a Public Health Emergency of International Concern in February 2016. A causal relation between infection and adverse congenital outcomes such as microcephaly was declared by the World Health Organization (WHO) informed by a systematic review structured according to a framework of ten dimensions of causality, based on the work of Bradford Hill. Subsequently, the evidence has continued to accumulate, which we incorporate in regular updates of the original work, rendering it a living systematic review. Methods: We present an update of our living systematic review on the causal relation between ZIKV infection and adverse congenital outcomes and between ZIKV and GBS for four dimensions of causality: strength of association, dose-response, specificity, and consistency. We assess the evidence published between January 18, 2017 and July 1, 2019. Results: We found that the strength of association between ZIKV infection and adverse outcomes from case-control studies differs according to whether exposure to ZIKV is assessed in the mother (OR 3.8, 95% CI: 1.7-8.7, I2=19.8%) or the foetus/infant (OR 37.4, 95% CI: 11.0-127.1, I2=0%). In cohort studies, the risk of congenital abnormalities was 3.5 times higher after ZIKV infection (95% CI: 0.9-13.5, I2=0%). The strength of association between ZIKV infection and GBS was higher in studies that enrolled controls from hospital (OR: 55.8, 95% CI: 17.2-181.7, I2=0%) than in studies that enrolled controls at random from the same community or household (OR: 2.0, 95% CI: 0.8-5.4, I2=74.6%). In case-control studies, selection of controls from hospitals could have biased results. Conclusions: The conclusions that ZIKV infection causes adverse congenital outcomes and GBS are reinforced with the evidence published between January 18, 2017 and July 1, 2019.

scholarly journals Distinct cellular immune signatures in acute Zika virus infection are associated with high or low persisting neutralizing antibody titers

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Elizabeth E. McCarthy ◽  
Pamela M. Odorizzi ◽  
Emma Lutz ◽  
Carolyn P. Smullin ◽  
Iliana Tenvooren ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Zika Virus ◽  
Neutralizing Antibodies ◽  
Viral Infections ◽  
Immune Cell ◽  
Acute Infection ◽  
Neutralizing Antibody ◽  
Natural Immunity ◽  
Zikv Infection ◽  
Antibody Titers ◽  
Cellular Immune

Although the formation of a durable neutralizing antibody response after an acute viral infection is a key component of protective immunity, little is known about why some individuals generate high versus low neutralizing antibody titers to infection or vaccination. Infection with Zika virus (ZIKV) during pregnancy can cause devastating fetal outcomes, and efforts to understand natural immunity to this infection are essential for optimizing vaccine design. In this study, we leveraged the high-dimensional single-cell profiling capacity of mass cytometry (CyTOF) to deeply characterize the cellular immune response to acute and convalescent ZIKV infection in a cohort of blood donors in Puerto Rico incidentally found to be viremic during the 2015-2016 epidemic in the Americas. During acute ZIKV infection, we identified widely coordinated responses across innate and adaptive immune cell lineages. High frequencies of multiple activated innate immune subsets, as well as activated follicular helper CD4+ T cells and proliferating CD27-IgD- B cells, during acute infection were associated with high titers of ZIKV neutralizing antibodies at 6 months post-infection. On the other hand, low titers of ZIKV neutralizing antibodies were associated with immune features that suggested a cytotoxic-skewed immune "set-point." Our study offers insight into the cellular coordination of immune responses and identifies candidate cellular biomarkers that may offer predictive value in vaccine efficacy trials for ZIKV and other acute viral infections aimed at inducing high titers of neutralizing antibodies.

Zika Virus Awareness and Prevention Practices Among University Students in Miami: Fall 2016

2018 ◽  
Vol 45 (6) ◽  
pp. 967-976 ◽  
Author(s):  
William Darrow ◽  
Chintan Bhatt ◽  
Cassandra Rene ◽  
Lakisha Thomas
Keyword(s):  
Zika Virus ◽  
World Health ◽  
Local Public Health ◽  
School Officials ◽  
Institutional Review ◽  
First Case ◽  
Blackboard Learn ◽  
Multistage Sampling ◽  
Health Organization ◽  
High Level

In January 2016, the first case of mosquito-borne Zika infection in the mainland United States was confirmed in Miami, Florida. The first locally acquired case was reported 6 months later. Local public health and school officials began warning students of the outbreak on their return to the classroom in August 2016. In November–December 2016, we conducted a survey of students attending a large public university in Miami to determine how well informed they were about Zika. A multistage sampling design was used to contact teaching assistants and ask them for help in recruiting their students. Eligible students had to be 18 years of age or older and enrolled in at least one three-credit course during fall semester. A 25-item questionnaire based on the World Health Organization Zika Knowledge, Attitudes, and Practice Resource Pack was developed, pretested, and approved by the university’s institutional review board before it was made available to eligible students through Blackboard Learn or a survey link. About half (50.4%) of the 139 respondents had heard about Zika prior to 2016. Only one student was unaware of Zika before our survey. Most (47.1%) first learned about Zika through television, 18.8% from family or friends, and 15.2% from the Internet, social media, or university e-mail. Two thirds (66.2%) believed Zika could be prevented, 15.1% thought it might be prevented, and 85.7% had taken some precautions. A high level of awareness of the risk of Zika infection was apparent. Most students reported taking steps to avoid exposure to the Zika virus.

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