DEVELOPMENT OF A RHESUS MONKEY MODEL FOR IN UTERO CHIKUNGUNYA VIRUS INFECTION

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This subproject is one of many research subprojects utilizing the resources provided by a Center grant funded by NIH/NCRR. Primary support for the subproject and the subproject's principal investigator may have been provided by other sources, including other NIH sources. The Total Cost listed for the subproject likely represents the estimated amount of Center infrastructure utilized by the subproject, not direct funding provided by the NCRR grant to the subproject or subproject staff. Chikungunya virus (CHIKV) is a mosquito-borne alphavirus associated with epidemics of debilitating arthralgia in humans. From 2005-2007, a CHIKV genotype from East Africa crossed to India, leading to an outbreak with 2 million human cases reported. In addition to the outbreak magnitude, novel neurological syndromes were identified, including fetal encephalopathy associated with neonatal transmission. It remains to be determined whether the novel syndromes are the result of increased virulence, altered tissue tropism or are merely reflective of the outbreak size and improved case reporting. Although a CHIKV mouse model has recently been developed, non-human primates possess physiological characteristics more reflective of humans, thus allowing for a more accurate representation of human CHIKV tropism and clinical syndromes.