Zika virus and microcephaly in Southeast Asia: A cause for concern?

Kuadkitkan, Atichat; Wikan, Nitwara; Sornjai, Wannapa; Smith, Duncan R.

doi:10.1016/j.jiph.2019.09.012

Cited by 27 publications

(26 citation statements)

References 55 publications

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“…It also remains to be elucidated whether fetal harm has always been a possible consequence of ZIKV infection during pregnancy or whether ZIKV has recently acquired mutations conferring the ability to cause fetal harm. The recent detection of three CZS cases in Thailand and Vietnam suggest that both non-epidemic and epidemic Asian ZIKV strains are neurotropic and able to be vertically transmitted during pregnancy [20][21][22] . Our results, supported by recent studies performed in mouse models of vertical ZIKV transmission 43,88 , indicate that African ZIKV strains also possess the ability to cross the placenta and cause adverse perinatal outcomes.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Retrospective analyses of samples and surveillance programs in several Asian countries revealed that ZIKV had circulated at low but sustained levels for decades 14,15 . Improved case recognition shed light on small outbreaks in Singapore 16 , Vietnam 17 and India 18 and led to the first reports of birth defects caused by indigenous ZIKV strains in South East Asia [19][20][21][22] . In Africa, where both ZIKV and Ae.…”

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confidence: 99%

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Recent African strains of Zika virus display higher transmissibility and fetal pathogenicity than Asian strains

et al. 2021

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The global emergence of Zika virus (ZIKV) revealed the unprecedented ability for a mosquito-borne virus to cause congenital birth defects. A puzzling aspect of ZIKV emergence is that all human outbreaks and birth defects to date have been exclusively associated with the Asian ZIKV lineage, despite a growing body of laboratory evidence pointing towards higher transmissibility and pathogenicity of the African ZIKV lineage. Whether this apparent paradox reflects the use of relatively old African ZIKV strains in most laboratory studies is unclear. Here, we experimentally compare seven low-passage ZIKV strains representing the recently circulating viral genetic diversity. We find that recent African ZIKV strains display higher transmissibility in mosquitoes and higher lethality in both adult and fetal mice than their Asian counterparts. We emphasize the high epidemic potential of African ZIKV strains and suggest that they could more easily go unnoticed by public health surveillance systems than Asian strains due to their propensity to cause fetal loss rather than birth defects.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Recent African strains of Zika virus display higher transmissibility and fetal pathogenicity than Asian strains

et al. 2021

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“…The number of cases in Brazil peaked in 2016 with nearly 215,320 probable Zika cases [ 12 ], followed by 17,593 and 10,768 reported cases annually between 2017 and 2019 [ 13 , 14 ]. The occurrence of microcephaly and other congenital neurological malformations associated with ZIKV infections has been described worldwide [ 15 , 16 , 17 ], and the virus continues to be considered an important threat [ 18 ].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Vector Competence of Aedes aegypti, Aedes albopictus and Culex quinquefasciatus from Brazil and New Caledonia for Three Zika Virus Lineages

et al. 2020

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Zika virus (ZIKV) has caused severe epidemics in South America beginning in 2015, following its spread through the Pacific. We comparatively assessed the vector competence of ten populations of Aedes aegypti and Ae. albopictus from Brazil and two of Ae. aegypti and one of Culex quinquefasciatus from New Caledonia to transmit three ZIKV isolates belonging to African, Asian and American lineages. Recently colonized mosquitoes from eight distinct sites from both countries were orally challenged with the same viral load (107 TCID50/mL) and examined after 7, 14 and 21 days. Cx. quinquefasciatus was refractory to infection with all virus strains. In contrast, although competence varied with geographical origin, Brazilian and New Caledonian Ae. aegypti could transmit the three ZIKV lineages, with a strong advantage for the African lineage (the only one reaching saliva one-week after challenge). Brazilian Ae. albopictus populations were less competent than Ae. aegypti populations. Ae. albopictus generally exhibited almost no transmission for Asian and American lineages, but was efficient in transmitting the African ZIKV. Viral surveillance and mosquito control measures must be strengthened to avoid the spread of new ZIKV lineages and minimize the transmission of viruses currently circulating.

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“…It remains to be elucidated whether fetal harm has always been a possible consequence of ZIKV infection during pregnancy or whether ZIKV has recently acquired mutations conferring the ability to cause fetal harm. The recent detection of three CZS cases in Thailand and Vietnam suggest that both non-epidemic and epidemic Asian ZIKV strains are neurotropic and able to be vertically transmitted during pregnancy [21][22][23] . Our results, supported by recent studies performed in mouse models of vertical ZIKV transmission 45,76 , indicate that African ZIKV strains also possess the ability to cross the placenta and cause adverse perinatal outcomes.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Retrospective analyses of samples and surveillance programs in several Asian countries revealed that ZIKV had circulated at low but sustained levels for decades 15,16 . Improved case recognition shed light on small outbreaks in Singapore 17 , Vietnam 18 and India 19 and led to the first reports of birth defects caused by indigenous ZIKV strains in South East Asia [20][21][22][23] . In Africa, where both ZIKV and Ae.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

High transmissibility and fetal pathogenicity of recent Zika virus strains from the African lineage

Aubry

Jacobs

Darmuzey

et al. 2020

Preprint

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SummaryThe global emergence of Zika virus (ZIKV) in the last decade revealed the unprecedented ability for a mosquito-borne virus to cause congenital birth defects such as microcephaly. A puzzling aspect of ZIKV emergence is that all human outbreaks and birth defects to date have been exclusively associated with the Asian ZIKV lineage, despite a growing body of laboratory evidence pointing towards higher transmissibility and pathogenicity of the African ZIKV lineage. Whether this apparent paradox reflects the use of relatively old African ZIKV strains in most laboratory studies is unclear. Here, we experimentally compared the transmissibility and pathogenicity of seven low-passage ZIKV strains representing the recently circulating viral genetic diversity. We found that recent African ZIKV strains largely outperformed their Asian counterparts in mosquito transmission kinetics experiments, which translated into a markedly higher epidemic potential in outbreak computer simulations. In addition, African ZIKV strains were significantly more lethal than Asian ZIKV strains in immunocompromised adult mice. Finally, prenatal infection of immunocompetent mouse embryos with an African ZIKV strain resulted in embryonic death whereas it caused microcephaly with Asian ZIKV strains. Together, our results demonstrate the high epidemic potential and pathogenicity of recent ZIKV strains from Africa. Importantly, they also imply that the African ZIKV lineage could more easily go unnoticed by public health surveillance systems than the Asian ZIKV lineage due to its propensity to cause fetal loss rather than birth defects.

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Zika virus and microcephaly in Southeast Asia: A cause for concern?

Cited by 27 publications

References 55 publications

Recent African strains of Zika virus display higher transmissibility and fetal pathogenicity than Asian strains

Recent African strains of Zika virus display higher transmissibility and fetal pathogenicity than Asian strains

Vector Competence of Aedes aegypti, Aedes albopictus and Culex quinquefasciatus from Brazil and New Caledonia for Three Zika Virus Lineages

High transmissibility and fetal pathogenicity of recent Zika virus strains from the African lineage

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