Notes from the Field: Evidence of Zika Virus Infection in Brain and Placental Tissues from Two Congenitally Infected Newborns and Two Fetal Losses — Brazil, 2015

Zika virus disease: a current review of the literature

“…Although ZIKV infection has been confirmed in numerous cases of microcephaly [14,71,72], how many of these were actually caused by ZIKV infection has not been confirmed. Furthermore, the ZIKV genome has also been identified in pathological specimens of first trimester fetal miscarriages [14,71], although it has not been confirmed whether ZIKV was the cause of these fetal losses.…”

“…A study has reported the time of stay of ZIKV in the semen of infected men for more than 3 weeks [51], while another study has reported ZIKV RNA in the semen for up to 62 days [97]. ZIKV detection can also be made in other specimens, for example cerebrospinal fluid, placenta and amniotic fluid [14,71].…”

Zika Virus Infection Among U.S. Pregnant Travelers — August 2015–February 2016

“…She experienced a spontaneous early pregnancy loss and underwent a dilation and curettage at approximately 8 weeks' gestation. Products of conception were sent to CDC for testing, and Zika virus RNA was detected by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and immunohistochemical (IHC) staining (6).…”

Zika Virus —10 Public Health Achievements in 2016 and Future Priorities

“…In collaboration with colleagues from Brazil, CDC pathology experts identified the first evidence of Zika virus infection in the fetal brain and in placental tissues, providing evidence of the possible role of Zika virus infection during pregnancy in adverse fetal and infant outcomes (26,27). In April 2016, CDC authors published a comprehensive analysis of the data, concluding that sufficient evidence existed to support a causal relationship between Zika virus infection during pregnancy and microcephaly and other brain abnormalities (28).…”