Decidual production of interferon lambda in response to ZIKV persistence: Clinical evidence and modelling.

Zika virus (ZIKV) infections during pregnancy can result in Congenital Zika Syndrome (CZS), a range of severe neurological outcomes in fetuses that primarily occur during early gestational stages possibly due to placental damage. Although some placentas can maintain ZIKV persistence for weeks or months after the initial infection and diagnosis, the impact of this viral persistence is still unknown. Here, we aimed to investigate the immunological repercussion of ZIKV persistence in term placentas.

Obesity Induces an Impaired Placental Antiviral Immune Response in Pregnant Women Infected with Zika Virus.

Obesity is increasing in incidence worldwide, especially in women, which can affect the outcome of pregnancy. During this period, viral infections represent a risk to the mother, the placental unit, and the fetus. The Zika virus (ZIKV) outbreak in Brazil has been the cause of congenital Zika syndrome (CZS), with devastating consequences such as microcephaly in newborns.

Histopathological and immunological characteristics of placentas infected with chikungunya virus.

Although vertical transmission of CHIKV has been reported, little is known about the role of placenta in the transmission of this virus and the effects of infection on the maternal-fetal interface. In this work we investigated five placentas from pregnant women who became infected during the gestational period. Four formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded samples of placenta (cases 1-4) were positive for CHIKV by RT-PCR.

Placental Alterations in a Chikungunya-Virus-Infected Pregnant Woman: A Case Report.

Chikungunya virus (CHIKV) is an arthropod-borne virus first isolated in Tanzania, Africa. The virus has spread to Asia as well as South and Central America through infected mosquitoes. Vertical transmission may also occur, and was first documented during a chikungunya outbreak in La Réunion Island in 2005.

Placental Tissue Destruction and Insufficiency From COVID-19 Causes Stillbirth and Neonatal Death From Hypoxic-Ischemic Injury.

Context.—: Perinatal death is an increasingly important problem as the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic continues, but the mechanism of death has been unclear.

Objective.