TY - JOUR
T1 - Oropharyngeal mucosal transmission of Zika virus in rhesus macaques
AU - Newman, Christina M.
AU - Dudley, Dawn M.
AU - Aliota, Matthew T.
AU - Weiler, Andrea M.
AU - Barry, Gabrielle L.
AU - Mohns, Mariel S.
AU - Breitbach, Meghan E.
AU - Stewart, Laurel M.
AU - Buechler, Connor R.
AU - Graham, Michael E.
AU - Post, Jennifer
AU - Schultz-Darken, Nancy
AU - Peterson, Eric
AU - Newton, Wendy
AU - Mohr, Emma L.
AU - Capuano, Saverio
AU - O'Connor, David H.
AU - Friedrich, Thomas C.
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2017 The Author(s).
PY - 2017/12/1
Y1 - 2017/12/1
N2 - Zika virus is present in urine, saliva, tears, and breast milk, but the transmission risk associated with these body fluids is currently unknown. Here we evaluate the risk of Zika virus transmission through mucosal contact in rhesus macaques. Application of high-dose Zika virus directly to the tonsils of three rhesus macaques results in detectable plasma viremia in all animals by 2 days post-exposure; virus replication kinetics are similar to those observed in animals infected subcutaneously. Three additional macaques inoculated subcutaneously with Zika virus served as saliva donors to assess the transmission risk from contact with oral secretions from an infected individual. Seven naive animals repeatedly exposed to donor saliva via the conjunctivae, tonsils, or nostrils did not become infected. Our results suggest that there is a risk of Zika virus transmission via the mucosal route, but that the risk posed by oral secretions from individuals with a typical course of Zika virus infection is low.
AB - Zika virus is present in urine, saliva, tears, and breast milk, but the transmission risk associated with these body fluids is currently unknown. Here we evaluate the risk of Zika virus transmission through mucosal contact in rhesus macaques. Application of high-dose Zika virus directly to the tonsils of three rhesus macaques results in detectable plasma viremia in all animals by 2 days post-exposure; virus replication kinetics are similar to those observed in animals infected subcutaneously. Three additional macaques inoculated subcutaneously with Zika virus served as saliva donors to assess the transmission risk from contact with oral secretions from an infected individual. Seven naive animals repeatedly exposed to donor saliva via the conjunctivae, tonsils, or nostrils did not become infected. Our results suggest that there is a risk of Zika virus transmission via the mucosal route, but that the risk posed by oral secretions from individuals with a typical course of Zika virus infection is low.
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U2 - 10.1038/s41467-017-00246-8
DO - 10.1038/s41467-017-00246-8
M3 - Article
C2 - 28765581
AN - SCOPUS:85026747692
SN - 2041-1723
VL - 8
JO - Nature communications
JF - Nature communications
IS - 1
M1 - 169
ER -
