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1rem

Using a pregnant rabbit model, investigators found a robust antigen-specific antibody response in pregnant rabbits against HIV and Zika virus. 

HIV and Zika Vaccination Produces Robust Immune Response in Mothers and Newborns 

Infectious diseases are emerging at an alarmingly rapid pace, faster than any other time in human history.

Virus Spillover and Emerging Pathogens Pick Up Speed

Microcephaly is not the only manifestation of developmental problems after antenatal exposure to the Zika virus. And even infants who appear normal at birth may display differences as they grow.

In Utero Zika Exposure Leads to a Range of Abnormalities

As children born in 2015-2016 with congenital Zika syndrome age, investigators are gradually able to assess neurodevelopmental outcomes.

Brazilian Study Assesses Developmental Delays in Children with Congenital Zika Syndrome 

According to new data, the prevalence of birth defects potentially related to Zika virus infection increased fourfold from January through March 2017 when compared with January to March 2016.
 

Population-Based Surveillance Provides More Information on Zika-Related Birth Defects

David A. Schwartz, MD, MS Hyg, FCAP, clinical professor of Pathology at the Medical College of Georgia, notes a topic of interest at the First International Zika Conference.

Interview Transcript (modified slightly for readability):

“It seems as [though], from a pathology standpoint, in the placenta, that infection in the placenta very early during pregnancy, in what we call the first trimester, seems to have a different pattern of Zika virus than we see in placentas from the later parts of pregnancy that we call the second and third trimester. And there’s a lot of interest here at the meeting on those issues. I’m actually going to be collaborating with some of the participants here looking at this, but it does seem as though very early infection in pregnancy may be a little different from my standpoint of what I do, than when we’re looking at placentas from later in gestation.”

David A. Schwartz, MD, MS Hyg, FCAP, notes a topic of interest at the First International Zika Conference.

Conferences

Patterns of Zika in Placentas May Differ Depending on Pregnancy Trimester

Viviane Boaventura, MD, MsC, PhD, researcher, Fiocruz, Bahia, at the Gonçalo Moniz Institute, Brazil, discusses which arbovirus poses the greatest threat to Brazil.

Interview Transcript (slightly modified for readability):

[In Brazil], yellow fever and chikungunya are the most important arboviruses circulating right now. There are some outbreaks occurring in the country at this moment. We have a low number of new cases of Zika virus, but we are having some yellow fever and chikungunya outbreaks in some [areas] of the country.”

Viviane Boaventura, MD, MsC, PhD, discusses which arbovirus poses the greatest threat to Brazil.

Which Arbovirus Poses the Greatest Threat to Brazil?

Viviane Boaventura, MD, MsC, PhD, researcher, Fiocruz-Bahia, Gonçalo Moniz Institute, Brazil, explains how Zika virus causes auditory loss. She shares that because Zika is known to cause apoptosis and the death of neuron cells, it may be related to the acoustic nerve.

Viviane Boaventura, MD, MsC, PhD, explains how Zika virus causes auditory loss.

How Does Zika Virus Cause Auditory Loss?

David A. Schwartz, MD, MS Hyg, FCAP, clinical professor of Pathology at the Medical College of Georgia, explains how researchers from all over the world have come together to share their research on Zika virus.

“This outbreak, this pandemic, in my experience, has been very unusual because investigators all over the world, like at this meeting, have been in very close collaboration with one another. We’ve been sharing results freely; we’ve even been sharing unpublished results, which is a fairly new phenomenon in my experience. And, of course, I’m an editor of medical journals, and the medical journals have been doing everything they can to rapidly publish the results of investigators, like myself and my colleagues, and to make them available largely free of charge on the internet. For instance, some of the data that I’m talking with you about today, and data from my colleagues and people who I am very familiar with, recently published their work in this 

Archives of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine

. That’s published by the College of American Pathologists, and this is actually the first peer-reviewed journal that is largely devoted to the subject of the Zika virus. I happened to have edited this issue. These articles were published very quickly after they were submitted to me as the editor. We’re trying to get this information out to investigators around the world as quickly as possible so that it helps them design further studies to understand the Zika virus.

My co-investigators and I published our placental pathology research in [this issue of 

]. I’m from Atlanta, and my colleagues at the Centers for Disease Control published an article in here also looking at placental pathology, and, in fact, we found the same results; we confirmed each other’s results independently. We have, in this issue, some physicians who are very in the leadership of the blood bank system in the United States, who are talking about the effects of Zika virus on the blood supply in terms of transfusion and organ donation. We have people in here talking about the microbiology of Zika virus, from Yale University. We have authors who are talking about the biology of Zika virus as a representative of the group that it belongs to, called the flaviviruses. We have people talking about the role of pathologists and medical examiners in identifying outbreaks like Zika virus. We have authors from Europe who are describing the findings in fetuses, in stillborn infants, and the pathology in the brain of Zika virus. It’s really an amazing group of people who have contributed to this; I’m very proud of this.”

David A. Schwartz, MD, MS Hyg, FCAP, explains how researchers from all over the world have come together to share their research on Zika virus.

First Peer-Reviewed Journal Largely Devoted to Zika Virus Research

Viviane Boaventura, MD, MsC, PhD, researcher, Fiocruz-Bahia, Gonçalo Moniz Institute, Brazil, discusses ongoing research related to auditory complications due to congenital Zika syndrome. Dr. Boaventura shares how babies are experiencing issues in the acoustic nerve as well as the cochlea.

Viviane Boaventura, MD, MsC, PhD, discusses ongoing research related to auditory complications due to congenital Zika syndrome.

Insight into Ongoing Research on Auditory Complications in Babies with Congenital Zika Syndrome

Joergen Richt, DVM, PhD, director of CEEZAD, Kansas State University, College of Veterinary Medicine, discusses which animal models are being used to study Zika virus. For the most part, researchers are studying Zika virus in mosquitoes and mouse models, according to Dr. Richt. However, a study conducted by a group of Canadian researchers suggests that pigs may also be susceptible to the virus, and thus, might be an opportunity to study the virus in a bigger mammalian model in the future.

Joergen Richt, DVM, PhD, discusses which animal models are being used to study Zika virus.

Which Animals Are Being Used to Study Zika Virus?

Viviane Boaventura, MD, MsC, PhD, researcher, Fiocruz-Bahia, Gonçalo Moniz Institute, Brazil, describes a past study she conducted with her team that demonstrated that adults can experience Zika-associated hearing loss. Dr. Boaventura shared that while the adults experienced hearing loss during infection, they recovered their auditory capabilities post-infection.

Viviane Boaventura, MD, MsC, PhD, shares how past research has demonstrated that adults can experience Zika-associated hearing loss.

Can Adults Experience Zika-Related Hearing Loss?

Joergen Richt, DVM, PhD, director of CEEZAD, Kansas State University, College of Veterinary Medicine, discusses the transmission cycle of Zika virus. Ultimately, the major transmission cycle consists of 

 mosquitoes passing the virus along to humans, and humans passing the virus back to mosquitoes. Dr. Richt also discusses the possibility of other nonhuman primates being a part of the transmission cycle in the future.

Joergen Richt, DVM, PhD, discusses the transmission cycle of Zika virus.

Discussing the Transmission Cycle of Zika Virus

Joergen Richt, DVM, PhD, director of CEEZAD, Kansas State University, College of Veterinary Medicine, discusses different animals that have the potential to serve as a reservoir for Zika virus. Dr. Richt also delves into past studies that had been dedicated to understanding what kinds of animals are susceptible to experimental infection with Zika, such as armadillos and frogs. Dr. Richt hypothesizes what might happen if these animals were naturally infected with the virus.

Joergen Richt, DVM, PhD, discusses animals that have proven susceptible to Zika virus replication after experimental infection.

What Animals Can Be Infected with Zika Virus?

Jean-Paul Gonzalez, MD, PhD, Deputy Director, Center of Excellence for Emerging and Zoonotic Animal Diseases (CEEZAD), Kansas State University, Adjunct Professor, Kansas State University, explains the importance of vector control in the fight against Zika.

Interview Transcript (slightly modified for readability)

“What we’ve learned from Ebola regarding the actual pandemic of Zika is to be prepared, to be ready to fight against the evading movement [and] strategy of the Zika virus.

But, for the Zika virus, the most important [thing] is the mosquito. The mosquitoes are the vectors and eventually can be reservoirs because [they] could [cause] transatlantic transmission of the virus. It’s a very important question, how to control the mosquitoes. However, here in the US, we are used to controlling mosquitoes for West Nile [virus], so we know the strategy. So, [we can use the] same type of approach if we want to control potentially infected mosquitoes for Zika, using the same tools we were using for the West Nile, for Chikungunya, and other mosquito-transmitted diseases.”

ZIKA

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