Prevalence and clinical and virological characteristics of congenital infection by ZIKA virus in a cohort of puerperal and their new-borns

• Grant number: 16/16069-8
• Support Opportunities: Regular Research Grants
• Duration: December 01, 2016 - February 28, 2019
• Field of knowledge: Health Sciences - Medicine - Medical Clinics
• Principal Investigator: Expedito José de Albuquerque Luna
• Grantee: Expedito José de Albuquerque Luna
• Host Institution: Instituto de Medicina Tropical de São Paulo (IMT). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). São Paulo , SP, Brazil
• Associated researchers: Camila Malta Romano ; Claudio Sergio Pannuti ; Evaldo Stanislau Affonso de Araujo ; José Eduardo Levi

Abstract

The Zika virus (ZIKAV) was first identified 1947 in rhesus monkeys from the Zika forest in Uganda. The first autochthonous cases in Brazil were reported in 2015.At beginning, ZIKAV was believed to cause only mild disease, similar to classical dengue fever, with maculopapular rash, conjunctivitis and arthralgia. Nevertheless, there is now evidence that the ZIKAV is associated with serious neurological diseases. Upon its emergence in Brazil, an increase in the frequency of microcephaly was observed among newborns. Although the association between the infection during pregnancy and birth defects is now confirmed, some important issues on congenital infection with this virus have not yet been clarified: what is the risk of transmission between the infected pregnant women to the fetus? What is the risk of the infected fetus to develop birth defects? Is such risk associated to the gestational period? The aim of this project is to establish the prevalence of ZIKAV infection in mothers and their newborns and describe the clinical and virological characteristics of congenitally infected newborns. For this purpose, we plan to recruit some 2,000 pregnant women and their newborns, in Santos (SP), potentially exposed to ZIKAV during the first six months of pregnancy. We intend to determine the prevalence of IgG antibodies in the mothers by enzyme-linked immunosorbent ELISA assay and by RT-PCR and in cord blood and urine of newborns of serum positive mothers, to determine the prevalence of symptomatic or asymptomatic congenital infection. We also aim to describe the clinical forms of congenitally infected infants and their evolution in the first months of life. Samples of colostrum or breast milk obtained within the first week after delivery will be tested by RT-PCR to investigate the shedding of ZIKAV. (AU)

Scientific publications

(References retrieved automatically from Web of Science and SciELO through information on FAPESP grants and their corresponding numbers as mentioned in the publications by the authors)

SANTIAGO E SOUZA, NATHALIA CAROLINE; FELIX, ALVINA CLARA; DE PAULA, ANDERSON VICENTE; LEVI, JOSE EDUARDO; PANNUTI, CLAUDIO SERGIO; ROMANO, CAMILA MALTA. Evaluation of serological cross-reactivity between yellow fever and other flaviviruses. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF INFECTIOUS DISEASES, v. 81, p. 4-5, APR 2019. (16/16069-8, 12/15381-7)

LUNA, E.; ROMANO, C.; ARAUJO, E.; FELIX, A. C.; NAKASONE, O.; CAMPOS, S.; FERNANDES, L.; LEVI, J. E.; SANTIAGO, N.; FERNANDES, J.; et al. Low prevalence after the first Zika virus epidemic wave in Southeastern Brazil. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF INFECTIOUS DISEASES, v. 73, p. 1-pg., 2018-08-01. (16/16069-8)