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Zika virus - reigniting the TORCH

Carolyn B Coyne1, Helen M Lazear2

  • 1Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15219, USA; and the Magee-Womens Research Institute, Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Science, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15213, USA.

Nature Reviews. Microbiology
|August 31, 2016
PubMed

The recent association between Zika virus (ZIKV) infection during pregnancy and fetal microcephaly has led to a renewed interest in the mechanisms by which vertically transmitted microorganisms reach the fetus and cause congenital disease. In this Opinion article, we provide an overview of the structure and cellular composition of the human placenta and of the mechanisms by which traditional 'TORCH' pathogens (Toxoplasma gondii, other, rubella virus, cytomegalovirus and herpes simplex virus) access the fetal compartment. Based on our current understanding of ZIKV pathogenesis and the developmental defects that are caused by fetal ZIKV infection, ZIKV should be considered a TORCH pathogen and future research and public health measures should be planned and implemented accordingly.

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