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Persistence of Zika Virus After Birth: Clinical, Virological, Neuroimaging, and Neuropathological Documentation in a 5-Month Infant With Congenital Zika Syndrome

During the Zika epidemic in Brazil, a baby was born at term with microcephaly and arthrogryposis. The mother had Zika symptoms at 10 weeks of gestation. At 17 weeks, ultrasound showed cerebral malformation and ventriculomegaly. At 24 weeks, the amniotic fluid contained ZIKV RNA and at birth, placenta and maternal blood were also positive using RT-qPCR. At birth the baby urine contained ZIKV RNA, whereas CSF at birth and urine at 17 days did not. Seizures started at 6 days. EEG was abnormal and CT scan showed cerebral atrophy, calcifications, lissencephaly, ventriculomegaly, and cerebellar hypoplasia. Bacterial sepsis at 2 months was treated. A sudden increase in head circumference occurred at 4 months necessitating ventricle-peritoneal shunt placement. At 5 months, the infant died with sepsis due to bacterial meningitis. Neuropathological findings were as severe as some of those found in neonates who died soon after birth, including hydrocephalus, destructive lesions/calcification, gliosis, abnormal neuronal migration, dysmaturation of nerve cells, hypomyelination, loss of descending axons, and spinal motor neurons. ZIKV RNA was detected only in frozen brain tissue using RT-qPCR, but infected cells were not detected by in situ hybridization. Progressive gliosis and microgliosis in the midbrain may have contributed to aqueduct compression and subsequent hydrocephalus. The etiology of progressive disease after in utero infection is not clear and requires investigation.