By Rachael Rettner, Senior
Writer | September 12, 2016 05:45pm ET
Some monkeys can contract Zika
virus in the womb and show signs of brain damage similar to those seen in human
babies, according to a new study.
The findings mark the first time
that a monkey has shown signs of "congenital Zika syndrome" — the
range of health problems linked with Zika virus infection in the womb. The
results suggest that researchers may be able to develop a model of Zika virus
infection in monkeys that could help with the development of vaccines or other
approaches that would help prevent birth
defects caused by Zika, the researchers said.
Researchers have been trying
to develop a model of congenital Zika syndrome in nonhuman primates
(such as monkeys) because pregnancy in nonhuman primates more closely resembles
human pregnancy, compared to pregnancy in other animals such as rodents.
However, in a previous study of pregnant monkeys infected with Zika, the virus
did not appear to make its way into the fetus's brain tissue, as it does in humans.
In the new study, the
researchers used a different species of monkey, called a pigtail macaque, and
used a slightly higher dose of Zika virus for
infection.
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