RT Journal Article
SR Electronic
T1 Oropharyngeal mucosal transmission of Zika virus in rhesus macaques
JF bioRxiv
FD Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory
SP 107128
DO 10.1101/107128
A1 Christina M. Newman
A1 Dawn M. Dudley
A1 Matthew T. Aliota
A1 Andrea M. Weiler
A1 Gabrielle L. Barry
A1 Mariel S. Mohns
A1 Meghan E. Breitbach
A1 Laurel M. Stewart
A1 Connor R. Buechler
A1 Michael E. Graham
A1 Jennifer Post
A1 Nancy Schultz-Darken
A1 Eric Peterson
A1 Wendy Newton
A1 Emma L. Mohr
A1 Saverio Capuano III
A1 David H. O’Connor
A1 Thomas C. Friedrich
YR 2017
UL http://biorxiv.org/content/early/2017/02/08/107128.abstract
AB Zika virus (ZIKV) is present in urine, saliva, tears, and breast milk, but the transmission risk associated with these body fluids is currently unknown. We evaluated the risk of ZIKV transmission through mucosal contact in rhesus macaques. Application of high-dose ZIKV directly to the tonsils of 3 rhesus macaques resulted in detectable plasma viremia in all animals by 2 days post-exposure; virus replication kinetics were similar to those observed in animals infected subcutaneously. Three additional macaques inoculated subcutaneously with ZIKV 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 ZIKV transmission via the mucosal route, but that the risk posed by oral secretions from individuals with a typical course of ZIKV infection is low.