Zika Virus: Mechanisms of Infection During Pregnancy

Nicholas J C King1, Mauro M Teixeira2, Suresh Mahalingam3

  • 1Discipline of Pathology, Bosch Institute, School of Medical Sciences, Marie Bashir Institute for Infectious Diseases and Biosecurity, Sydney Medical School, Charles Perkins Centre, University of Sydney, Camperdown, NSW, Australia.

Immune status changes during pregnancy, with pro-inflammatory and anti-inflammatory contexts at different stages, making pregnant women potentially more susceptible to various infections. Infection by Zika virus during pregnancy can cause developmental damage to the fetus, and the altered immune response during pregnancy could contribute to disease during Zika infection.