Lancet: Detection and sequencing of Zika virus from amniotic fluid of fetuses with microcephaly in Brazil: a case study

[sharon sanders]

Detection and sequencing of Zika virus from amniotic fluid of fetuses with microcephaly in Brazil: a case study

Guilherme Calvet, PhD*
, Renato S Aguiar, PhD*
, Adriana S O Melo, PhD
, Simone A Sampaio, BSc
, Ivano de Filippis, PhD
, Allison Fabri, BSc
, Eliane S M Araujo, BSc
, Patricia C de Sequeira, PhD
, Marcos C L de Mendon?a, PhD
, Louisi de Oliveira, PhD
, Diogo A Tschoeke, PhD
, Carlos G Schrago, PhD
, Fabiano L Thompson, PhD
, Patricia Brasil, PhD
, Flavia B dos Santos, PhD
, Rita M R Nogueira, PhD
, Prof Amilcar Tanuri, PhD†
, Dr Ana M B de Filippis, PhD†

*Contributed equally
†Contributed equally

Published Online: 17 February 2016


snip

Detection of the Zika virus genome and anti-Zika-virus IgM in the amniotic fluid of pregnant women with microcephalic fetuses has not been previously reported in detail in the scientific literature. This finding shows that the Zika virus can cross the placental barrier and, possibly, infect the fetus. A previous report23 suggested that fragments of Zika virus genome were identified in saliva, breastmilk, urine, and serum of two mothers and their newborn babies within 4 days of delivery. However, our group is the first, to our knowledge, to isolate the whole genome of Zika virus directly from the amniotic fluid of a pregnant woman before delivery, supporting the hypothesis that Zika virus infection could occur through transplacental transmission.


http://www.thelancet.com/journals/la...095-5/fulltext