Gene mutation could make Zika virus more dangerous, study warns

A team of scientists from the La Jolla Institute of Immunology (LjI) in the United States released the results of laboratory tests on Tuesday (12), which may alarm health authorities in many countries, including Brazil. According to research, zika virustransmitted by mosquito aedes aegyptiit can mutate and become more contagious, impairing pre-existing immunity.

Although the symptoms of Zika infection are usually mild in adults, when the disease occurs in pregnant women, it can cause congenital harm to the fetus. as microcephalya condition where babies are born with a smaller head and may have brain damage.

Genetic mutations in Dengue and Zika viruses

Both the flavivirus family, Zika and dengue viruses, are so similar that exposure to dengue fever can trigger an immune response to Zika. However, because they are both RNA viruses, they both have “the ability to alter their genomes,” lead researcher Sujan Shresta explained at an LjI briefing.

Shresta’s team studied the rapid evolution of Zika by recreating repeated infection cycles that alternate between mosquito and mouse cells.

The result was that it was relatively easy for Zika to achieve a single amino acid change that allowed it to replicate into copies that could become more infectious. “The world must watch as this variant of the Zika virus emerges,” warns Professor Shresta.

ARTICLE: Cell Reports – DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2022.110655.