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Title: Zika viral dynamics and shedding in rhesus and cynomolgus macaques

Journal Article · · Nature Medicine
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1038/nm.4206· OSTI ID:1334153
ORCiD logo [1];  [1];  [2];  [3];  [3];  [3]; ORCiD logo [3];  [4];  [3]; ORCiD logo [4];  [5];  [4];  [6];  [6];  [6];  [4];  [2];  [3];  [5];  [7]
  1. Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA (United States)
  2. Frederick National Lab. for Cancer Research, Frederick, MD (United States)
  3. National Microbiology Lab., Winnipeg, MB (Canada)
  4. Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States)
  5. Bioqual, Rockville, MD (United States)
  6. Kansas State Univ., Manhattan, KS (United States)
  7. Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA (United States); Massachusetts Inst. of Technology (MIT), Cambridge, MA (United States)

Infection with Zika virus has been associated with serious neurological complications and fetal abnormalities. However, the dynamics of viral infection, replication and shedding are poorly understood. Here we show that both rhesus and cynomolgus macaques are highly susceptible to infection by lineages of Zika virus that are closely related to, or are currently circulating in, the Americas. After subcutaneous viral inoculation, viral RNA was detected in blood plasma as early as 1 d after infection. Viral RNA was also detected in saliva, urine, cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and semen, but transiently in vaginal secretions. Although viral RNA during primary infection was cleared from blood plasma and urine within 10 d, viral RNA was detectable in saliva and seminal fluids until the end of the study, 3 weeks after the resolution of viremia in the blood. The control of primary Zika virus infection in the blood was correlated with rapid innate and adaptive immune responses. We also identified Zika RNA in tissues, including the brain and male and female reproductive tissues, during early and late stages of infection. Re-infection of six animals 45 d after primary infection with a heterologous strain resulted in complete protection, which suggests that primary Zika virus infection elicits protective immunity. Finally, early invasion of Zika virus into the nervous system of healthy animals and the extent and duration of shedding in saliva and semen underscore possible concern for additional neurologic complications and nonarthropod-mediated transmission in humans.

Research Organization:
Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States)
Sponsoring Organization:
National Institutes of Health (NIH); USDOE
Grant/Contract Number:
AC52-06NA25396
OSTI ID:
1334153
Report Number(s):
LA-UR-16-25423
Journal Information:
Nature Medicine, Journal Name: Nature Medicine; ISSN 1078-8956
Publisher:
Nature Publishing GroupCopyright Statement
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Citation Metrics:
Cited by: 3 works
Citation information provided by
Web of Science

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Intranasal infection and contact transmission of Zika virus in guinea pigs journal November 2017
Zika virus infection in pregnant rhesus macaques causes placental dysfunction and immunopathology journal January 2018
Development of a chimeric Zika vaccine using a licensed live-attenuated flavivirus vaccine as backbone journal February 2018
Intraamniotic Zika virus inoculation of pregnant rhesus macaques produces fetal neurologic disease journal June 2018
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Route of Infection Influences Zika Virus Shedding in a Guinea Pig Model journal November 2019
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A ‘Furry-Tale’ of Zika Virus Infection: What Have We Learned from Animal Models? journal January 2019
Zika Virus: Recent Advances towards the Development of Vaccines and Therapeutics journal June 2017
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High susceptibility, viral dynamics and persistence of South American Zika virus in New World monkey species journal October 2019
Zika virus infection at mid-gestation results in fetal cerebral cortical injury and fetal death in the olive baboon posted_content May 2018
Antibody responses to Zika virus proteins in pregnant and non-pregnant macaques journal August 2018
Ocular and uteroplacental pathology in a macaque pregnancy with congenital Zika virus infection journal January 2018
Human stem cell-derived hepatocyte-like cells support Zika virus replication and provide a relevant model to assess the efficacy of potential antivirals journal December 2018
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Modeling the 2013 Zika Outbreak in French Polynesia: Intervention Strategies journal August 2018
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Postnatal Zika virus infection is associated with persistent abnormalities in brain structure, function, and behavior in infant macaques text January 2018
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