Modeling mosquito-borne and sexual transmission of Zika virus in an enzootic host, the African green monkey.

ABSTRACT: Mosquito-borne and sexual transmission of Zika virus (ZIKV), a TORCH pathogen, recently initiated a series of large epidemics throughout the Tropics. Animal models are necessary to determine transmission risk and study pathogenesis, as well screen antivirals and vaccine candidates. In this study, we modeled mosquito and sexual transmission of ZIKV in the African green monkey (AGM). Following subcutaneous, intravaginal or intrarectal inoculation of AGMs with ZIKV, we determined the transmission potential and infection dynamics of the virus. AGMs inoculated by all three transmission routes exhibited viremia and viral shedding followed by strong virus neutralizing antibody responses, in the absence of clinical illness. All four of the subcutaneously inoculated AGMs became infected (mean peak

SUBMITTER: Haddow AD 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7343349 | biostudies-literature | 2020 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature