The humoral response to Zika virus infection and vaccination

寨卡病毒(ZIKV)是一种由蚊子传播的RNA病毒，近年来出现，对公共健康构成相当大的威胁。虽然ZIKV的存在早在60多年前就已为人所知，但直到最近，这种病毒还不是人类重大疾病的来源。2007年，寨卡病毒第一次大规模暴发发生在雅普岛(密克罗尼西亚)，导致大约四分之三的人口受到感染，此后在2014年传入南美洲之前，在其他太平洋岛屿也发生了感染。目前，西半球已有40多个国家报告了当地感染病例，其中包括美利坚合众国。寨卡病毒相关疾病被描述为一种以皮疹、发热、结膜炎、关节痛和关节炎为特征的自限性轻度疾病。最近的寨卡病毒暴发与神经系统并发症有关，包括成人的格林-巴利综合征，以及怀孕期间感染的妇女婴儿的破坏性神经发育缺陷，包括小头畸形。迫切需要采取干预措施来减少寨卡病毒的传播和疾病。我们的实验室将寻求对ZIKV抗体反应的基本了解，并将这些见解应用于ZIKV疫苗和新的诊断方法的开发。

Zika virus (ZIKV) is an RNA virus transmitted by mosquitoes that has emerged in recent years as a considerable threat to public health. While the existence of ZIKV has been known for more than sixty years, until recently, this virus was not a source of significant human disease. The first large outbreak of ZIKV occurred in Yap Island (Micronesia) in 2007, resulting in roughly three-quarters of the population becoming infected, and thereafter on other Pacific Islands prior to its introduction into South America in 2014. More than 40 countries in the Western Hemisphere have now reported locally acquired infections, including the United States of America. ZIKV-associated illness was described as a self-limiting mild illness characterized by rash, fever, conjunctivitis, arthralgia, and arthritis. More recent ZIKV outbreaks have been associated with neurological complications, including Guillain-Barre syndrome in adults, and devastating neurodevelopmental defects in infants of women infected while pregnant, including microcephaly. There is an urgent need for interventions to reduce ZIKV transmission and disease. Our laboratory will seek a fundamental understanding of the antibody response to ZIKV and apply these insights to the development of ZIKV vaccines and novel diagnostic approaches.