Flavivirus replication kinetics in early-term placental cell lines with different differentiation pathways

Abstract

Background: The uncontrollable spread of Zika virus (ZIKV) in the Americas during 2015–2017, and its causal link to microcephaly in newborns and Guillain-Barré syndrome in adults, led the World Health Organisation to declare it a global public health emergency. One of the most notable features of ZIKV pathogenesis was the ability of the virus to pass the placental barrier to infect the growing foetus. This pathogenic trait had not been observed previously for medically important flaviviruses, including dengue and yellow fever viruses. Methods: In this study we evaluated the replication kinetics of ZIKV and the related encephalitic flavivirus West Nile strain Kunjin virus (WNVKUN) in early-te..