Sexual Transmission of Arboviruses: A Systematic Review

Abstract

Arthropod-borne viruses (arboviruses) are primarily maintained in nature in transmission cycles between hematophagous arthropods and vertebrate hosts, but an increasing number of arboviruses have been isolated from or indirectly detected in the urogenital tract and sexual secretions of their vertebrate hosts, indicating that further investigation on the possibility of sexual transmission of these viruses is warranted. The most widely recognized sexually-transmitted arbovirus is Zika virus but other arboviruses, including Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever virus and dengue virus, might also be transmitted, albeit occasionally, by this route. This review summarizes our current understanding on the ability of arboviruses to be sexually transmitted. We discuss the sexual transmission of arboviruses between humans and between vertebrate animals, but not arthropod vectors. Every taxonomic group known to contain arboviruses (Asfarviridae, Bunyavirales, Flaviviridae, Orthomyxoviridae, Reoviridae, Rhabdoviridae and Togaviridae) is covered.

Zika Virus Replicates in the Vagina of Mice with Intact Interferon Signaling

“…The unprecedented size of the 2015-2016 Zika virus pandemic in the Americas, in which millions of people were infected, revealed new disease manifestations and transmission mechanisms, including congenital infection and sexual transmission (1). Flaviviruses are transmitted to humans by arthropod vectors (mosquitoes and ticks), and ZIKV is the first example of a flavivirus that spreads between humans via sexual transmission (2). The first report of ZIKV sexual transmission pre-dates the 2015-2016 epidemic and resulted from ZIKV infection in Africa (3), suggesting that sexual transmission is a general property of ZIKV, rather than a new trait coincident with its emergence in the Americas.…”

Are the Organoid Models an Invaluable Contribution to ZIKA Virus Research?

“…In addition to vaginal organoids [142], the development of organoids resembling the sexual reservoirs [143][144][145], representing both female and male [146][147][148] reproductive tracts, such as cervical [149,150] and testes organoids [112,151], may help to unravel sexual transmission and pathogenesis, especially the male-to-female route which is enhanced by asymptomatic infected males [152].…”

Understanding and combatting African Swine Fever

“…Health status and free-ASF certificates have to be checked before acquiring animals. Semen, ova and embryos should come from approved collection centres as they have been suggested to be a potential source of ASF infection (EC, 2016;Thacker et al, 1984) although this has not been scientifically proven (Blitvich et al, 2020;Maes et al, 2008). Introducing animals lacking a certificate showing their origin should be avoided as untraceable animals are one of the likely causes of ASF entry (EC, 2016).…”