Zika virus, vaccines, and antiviral strategies

Abstract

Zika virus (ZIKV) recently emerged as a global public health emergency of international concern. ZIKV is responsible for severe neurological complications in adults and infection during pregnancy and can lead to congenital Zika syndrome. There is no licensed vaccine or drug to prevent or treat ZIKV infection. Areas covered: The aim of this article is to provide an overview and update of the progress of research on anti-ZIKV vaccine and medications until the end of 2017, with a special emphasis on drugs that can be used during pregnancy. Expert commentary: Development of new vaccines and drugs is challenging and several points particular to ZIKV infections augment this difficulty: (1) Cross-reactions between ZIKV and other flaviviruses, the impact of ZIKV vaccination on subsequent flavivirus infections, and vice-versa, is unknown, (2) Drugs against ZIKV should be safe in pregnant women, and (3) Evaluation of the efficacy of vaccine and drugs against ZIKV in clinical trials phase II-IV will be complicated due to the decline of ZIKV circulation.

Zika virus during pregnancy: From maternal exposure to congenital Zika virus syndrome

“…Promising DNA, mRNA, and purified inactivated virus vaccines that could be used to prevent ZIKV are currently in phase I or phase II clinical trials …”

The Multifaceted Roles of Autophagy in Flavivirus-Host Interactions

“…Notably, ZIKV infection in adults results in Guillain-Barré syndrome [368,369,370,371,372,373,374,375]. Antiviral drugs for curing ZIKV are still unavailable but multiple kinds of vaccines have been initially developed and are anticipated to combat ZIKV infection [376,377,378,379,380].…”

Pregnancy and Zika virus

“…научных публикаций по данному вирусу, создание и утверждение новых диагностических тестов, а также разработка вакцин, которые вошли в клинические испытания, и все это за последние 3 года [51][52][53][54][55]. Кроме того, пандемия вируса Зика повысила осведомленность о важнейших вопросах социальной справедливости, таких как стигматизация и изоляция семей младенцев с врожденным синдромом Зика, репродуктивные права женщин и доступ к безопасным абортам и контрацепции в Латинской Америке [56]. Следует отметить, что хотя во многих странах политика в отношении абортов не изменилась, вспышка Зика в Бразилии была связана с сокращением более чем на 100 тыс.…”