Laboratory experiments have identified a mutation that would make the mosquito-borne Zika virus more infectious and virulent. This is why genomic surveillance is important (not just Covid)
A new outbreak of Zika is potentially possible, because, at present, a single mutation would be enough to trigger a rapid and dangerous spread of the virus. The warning is a research work conducted in the laboratory by a group of American scientists and published in the journal Cell Reports, which has shown how the virus, by passing from mosquito to mouse cells, has created a new variant
much more widespread of the current e capable of infecting even those who have developed immunity from previous Zika outbreaks. Experts from the Jolla Institute of Immunology in San Diego, California concluded that the findings, although theoretical, point out that viruses other than Covid could also pose a threat.
Meaning of Zika
Zika is a virus that is transmitted to humans by the bites of Aedes mosquitoes infected and is more common in the countries of the Americas and Asia (with the exception of Canada and Chile where it is too cold). While in most people it causes mild illness with fever and joint pain, if pregnant women contract it, it can have serious consequences in the brain development of the fetus, causing microcephaly (unusually small head) and damaging brain tissue. The disease caused a global medical emergency in 2016, with thousands of babies born with brain damage after their mothers were infected in pregnancy.
The laboratory study
Researchers from the La Jolla Institute for Immunology in San Diego, California, have recreated in the laboratory, using cells and animals, what happens when Zika is transmitted between different animal species: when the virus passed from mosquito cells to mice they occurred small genetic changes. Thanks to the I39V mutation in the NS2B protein the virus has increased replication capacity and acquired the ability to evade pre-existing immunity transmitted by Dengue infection (it has been observed in the past that people exposed to Dengue fever also have short-term protection against Zika, as they both belong to the same flavivirus family and are transmitted by the same vector).
The importance of genomic surveillance
“The variant we have identified – says the researcher at the head of the team, Sujan Shresta – evolved to the point where the cross-protective immunity offered by the previous dengue infection was no longer effective in mice. Unfortunately for us, if this variant became prevalent, we could have the same problems in real life among human beings. “
The doctor Clare Taylor, of the Society for Applied Microbiology, interviewed by the BBC said: ‘Although these results have been observed in laboratory experiments and therefore have limitations, they show that there is the possibility of disturbing variants occurring during the normal transmission cycle of Zika and remember that monitoring is important to follow viruses as they evolve ”. The authors conclude that genomic surveillance is important to predict future variants that could cause more serious problems in the future and thus be able to intervene in a timely manner.
April 13, 2022 (change April 13, 2022 | 18:58)
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