"Prior Dengue Virus Infection Increases Zika Virus-induced Damage During Pregnancy"
Women who have previously been infected with dengue virus may be at risk for increased damage to their fetuses and placentas if they should later become infected with the Zika virus, researchers from the department of microbiology at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai report. This study is the first to report a possible mechanism for the enhancement of Zika virus progression during pregnancy in an animal model. The presence of these antibodies in the mice significantly increased placental damage, fetal growth, and fetal resorption. Zika-infected human placental tissues also showed increased replication in the presence of dengue antibodies. "Our data demonstrate that antibodies generated from a previous dengue virus infection can enhance the severity of Zika virus infection during pregnancy," said Jean Lim, PhD, associate professor of microbiology and co-director of microbiology multidisciplinary training at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. "Our research may explain the high rate of microcephaly and birth defects observed in the recent Zika virus outbreak in South America.”
— Jean K. Lim, PhD, Associate Professor, Microbiology, Co-Director, Microbiology Multidisciplinary Training, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai
Additional coverage: Journey Line;Erie News