Zika in the Brain: New Models Shed Light on Viral Infection
Heather D Hickman1, Theodore C Pierson1
1Laboratory of Viral Diseases, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA.
The current Zika virus (ZIKV) outbreak is associated with high numbers of human congenital birth defects, yet it has been unclear how ZIKV infection during pregnancy causes these abnormalities. Three new mouse models now show that ZIKV crosses the placenta and replicates in the brains of fetal mice.
The current Zika virus (ZIKV) outbreak is associated with high numbers of human congenital birth defects, yet it has been unclear how ZIKV infection during pregnancy causes these abnormalities. Three new mouse models now show that ZIKV crosses the placenta and replicates in the brains of fetal mice.
