Haddow AD, Nalca A, Rossi FD, Miller LJ, Wiley MR, Perez-Sautu U, Washington SC, Norris SL, Wollen-Roberts SE, Shamblin JD, Kimmel AE, Bloomfield HA, Valdez SM, Sprague TR, Principe LM, Bellanca SA, Cinkovich SS, Lugo-Roman L, Cazares LH, Pratt WD, Palacios GF, Bavari S, Pitt ML, Nasar F. High Infection Rates for Adult Macaques after Intravaginal or
Intrarectal Inoculation with Zika Virus.
Emerg Infect Dis 2017;
23:1274-1281. [PMID:
28548637 PMCID:
PMC5547779 DOI:
10.3201/eid2308.170036]
[Citation(s) in RCA: 61] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Unprotected sexual intercourse between persons residing in or traveling from regions with Zika virus transmission is a risk factor for infection. To model risk for infection after sexual intercourse, we inoculated rhesus and cynomolgus macaques with Zika virus by intravaginal or intrarectal routes. In macaques inoculated intravaginally, we detected viremia and virus RNA in 50% of macaques, followed by seroconversion. In macaques inoculated intrarectally, we detected viremia, virus RNA, or both, in 100% of both species, followed by seroconversion. The magnitude and duration of infectious virus in the blood of macaques suggest humans infected with Zika virus through sexual transmission will likely generate viremias sufficient to infect competent mosquito vectors. Our results indicate that transmission of Zika virus by sexual intercourse might serve as a virus maintenance mechanism in the absence of mosquito-to-human transmission and could increase the probability of establishment and spread of Zika virus in regions where this virus is not present.
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