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Review
. 2018 Feb 19:7:203.
doi: 10.12688/f1000research.12271.1. eCollection 2018.

The immunology of Zika Virus

Abigail Culshaw  1 , Juthathip Mongkolsapaya  1   2 , Gavin Screaton  3
Affiliations
Review

The immunology of Zika Virus

Abigail Culshaw et al. F1000Res. .

Abstract

Zika virus (ZIKV) was initially thought to cause only mild, self-limiting symptoms. However, recent outbreaks have been associated with the autoimmune disease Guillain-Barré syndrome and causally linked to a congenital malformation known as microcephaly. This has led to an urgent need for a safe and effective vaccine. A comprehensive understanding of the immunology of ZIKV infection is required to aid in the design of such a vaccine. Whilst details of both innate and adaptive immune responses to ZIKV are emerging, further research is needed. As immunopathogenesis has been implicated in poor outcomes following infection with the related dengue virus, identification of cross-reactive immune responses between flaviviruses and the impact they may have on disease progression is also of high importance.

Keywords: T cells; Zika virus; antibodies; dengue virus; immunopathogenesis; innate immunity; vaccine.

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Conflict of interest statement

No competing interests were disclosed.No competing interests were disclosed.No competing interests were disclosed.

Figures

Figure 1.
Figure 1.. Timeline of the spread of Zika virus (ZIKV).
Following its isolation in Uganda in 1947, ZIKV caused only sporadic incidences of human infection until an outbreak on the island of Yap in 2007. Since then, the virus has spread through the South Pacific to South America, resulting in large-scale transmission that is associated with severe complications such as Guillain-Barré syndrome and microcephaly.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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