Overview on the Current Status of Zika Virus Pathogenesis and Animal Related Research

Overview

Journal J Neuroimmune Pharmacol

Specialties Allergy & Immunology
Neurology
Pharmacology

Date 2017 Apr 27

PMID 28444557

Citations 12

Authors

Shashank S Pawitwar

Supurna Dhar

Sneham Tiwari

Chet Raj Ojha

Jessica Lapierre

Kyle Martins

Alexandra Rodzinski

Tiyash Parira

Iru Paudel

Jiaojiao Li

Rajib Kumar Dutta

Monica R Silva

Ajeet Kaushik

Nazira El-Hage

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

There is growing evidence that Zika virus (ZIKV) infection is linked with activation of Guillan-Barré syndrome (GBS) in adults infected with the virus and microcephaly in infants following maternal infection. With the recent outpour in publications by numerous research labs, the association between microcephaly in newborns and ZIKV has become very apparent in which large numbers of viral particles were found in the central nervous tissue of an electively aborted microcephalic ZIKV-infected fetus. However, the underlying related mechanisms remain poorly understood. Thus, development of ZIKV-infected animal models are urgently required. The need to develop drugs and vaccines of high efficacy along with efficient diagnostic tools for ZIKV treatment and management raised the demand for a very selective animal model for exploring ZIKV pathogenesis and related mechanisms. In this review, we describe recent advances in animal models developed for studying ZIKV pathogenesis and evaluating potential interventions against human infection, including during pregnancy. The current research directions and the scientific challenges ahead in developing effective vaccines and therapeutics are also discussed.

Citing Articles

The Laboratory Opossum () Is a Unique Model for Research on Zika Virus: Robust Immune Response, Widespread Dissemination, and Long-Term Persistence.

Pastor A, Mahaney S, Garcia Jr J, Morales M, Quintanilla O, Arriaga M Viruses. 2025; 16(12.

PMID: 39772157 PMC: 11680235. DOI: 10.3390/v16121847.

as a Fetal Intra-Cerebral Inoculation Model for Zika Virus Pathogenesis.

Thomas J, Garcia J, Terry M, Mahaney S, Quintanilla O, Silva D Pathogens. 2023; 12(5).

PMID: 37242404 PMC: 10221844. DOI: 10.3390/pathogens12050733.

Microcephaly in Zika Virus Infection.

McGrath E, Wu P Ann Pediatr Child Health. 2022; 5(3).

PMID: 36438593 PMC: 9699379.

Challenges for Vaccinologists in the First Half of the Twenty-First Century.

Thomas S, Abraham A, Callaghan P, Rappuoli R Methods Mol Biol. 2021; 2410:3-25.

PMID: 34914040 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-0716-1884-4_1.

Vertically transmitted chikungunya, Zika and dengue virus infections: The pathogenesis from mother to fetus and the implications of co-infections and vaccine development.

Evans-Gilbert T Int J Pediatr Adolesc Med. 2020; 7(3):107-111.

PMID: 33094137 PMC: 7567994. DOI: 10.1016/j.ijpam.2019.05.004.

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