Animal Models of Zika Virus

Abstract

Zika virus has garnered great attention over the last several years, as outbreaks of the disease have emerged throughout the Western Hemisphere. Until quite recently Zika virus was considered a fairly benign virus, with limited clinical severity in both people and animals. The size and scope of the outbreak in the Western Hemisphere has allowed for the identification of severe clinical disease that is associated with Zika virus infection, most notably microcephaly among newborns, and an association with Guillian-Barré syndrome in adults. This recent association with severe clinical disease, of which further analysis strongly suggested causation by Zika virus, has resulted in a massive increase in the amount of both basic and applied research of this virus. Both small and large animal models are being used to uncover the pathogenesis of this emerging disease and to develop vaccine and therapeutic strategies. Here we review the animal-model-based Zika virus research that has been performed to date.

Figure 1.

Uninfected and Zika-virus–infected AG129 mice. An example of bilateral hindlimb paralysis in AG129 provided by one of the authors (CMN). The affected mouse was inoculated retroorbitally 7 d previously with 1 × 10⁴ pfu of the MR766 Zika virus strain.

Figure 2.

Mouse models of Zika virus pathogenicity. FP, footpad; IC, intracerebral; IVG, intravaginal.

Figure 3.

Mouse models of Zika virus pathogenicity in embryos. E, embryonic day; FP, footpad; IC, intracerebral; IUGR, intrauterine growth restriction; IVG, intravaginal.