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RESEARCH ARTICLE

Pregnancy, the placenta and Zika virus (ZIKV) infection

William Rawlinson
+ Author Affiliations
- Author Affiliations

Serology and Virology Division, SEALS Pathology
Level 4, Clinical Sciences Building
Prince of Wales Hospital
Randwick, NSW 2031, Australia
Tel: +61 2 9382 9113
Fax: +61 2 9398 9098
Email: w.rawlinson@unsw.edu.au

Microbiology Australia 37(4) 170-172 https://doi.org/10.1071/MA16057
Published: 29 September 2016

Abstract

Zika virus (ZIKV) infections have been recognised in Africa and Asia since 1940. The virus is in the family Flaviviridae and genus Flavivirus, along with Dengue, Japanese encephalitis virus, Tick borne encephalitis, West Nile virus, and Yellow fever virus. These viruses share biological characteristics of an envelope, icosahedral nucleocapsid, and a non-segmented, positive sense, single-strand RNA genome of ~10kb encoding three structural proteins (capsid C pre-membrane/membrane PrM/M, envelope E), and seven non-structural proteins (NS1, NS2A, NS2B, NS3, NS4A, NS4B and NS5). ZIKV has three known genotypes; the West African (Nigerian cluster), East African (MR766 prototype cluster), and Asian strains. Virus sequencing from the most recent South American outbreak suggests this virus is related to the 2013 French Polynesian isolates of Asian lineage.


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