Zika Virus Infection in Pregnant Women in Rio de Janeiro

Patrícia Brasil, José P Pereira, M Elisabeth Moreira, Rita M Ribeiro Nogueira, Luana Damasceno, Mayumi Wakimoto, Renata S Rabello, Stephanie G Valderramos, Umme-Aiman Halai, Tania S Salles, Andrea A Zin, Dafne Horovitz, Pedro Daltro, Marcia Boechat, Claudia Raja Gabaglia, Patrícia Carvalho de Sequeira, José H Pilotto, Raquel Medialdea-Carrera, Denise Cotrim da Cunha, Liege M Abreu de Carvalho, Marcos Pone, André Machado Siqueira, Guilherme A Calvet, Ana E Rodrigues Baião, Elizabeth S Neves, Paulo R Nassar de Carvalho, Renata H Hasue, Peter B Marschik, Christa Einspieler, Carla Janzen, James D Cherry, Ana M Bispo de Filippis, Karin Nielsen-Saines

Background Zika virus (ZIKV) has been linked to neonatal microcephaly. To characterize the spectrum of ZIKV disease in pregnancy, we followed patients in Rio de Janeiro to describe clinical manifestations in mothers and repercussions of acute ZIKV infection in fetuses. Methods We enrolled pregnant women in whom a rash had developed within the previous 5 days and tested blood and urine specimens for ZIKV by reverse-transcriptase-polymerase-chain-reaction assays. We followed the women prospectively and collected clinical and ultrasonographic data. Results A total of 88 women were enrolled from September 2015 through February 2016; of these 88 women, 72 (82%) tested positive for ZIKV in blood, urine, or both. The timing of acute ZIKV infection ranged from 5 to 38 weeks of gestation. Predominant clinical features included pruritic descending macular or maculopapular rash, arthralgias, conjunctival injection, and headache; 28% had fever (short-term and low-grade). Women who were positive for ZIKV were more likely than those who were negative for the virus to have maculopapular rash (44% vs. 12%, P=0.02), conjunctival involvement (58% vs. 13%, P=0.002), and lymphadenopathy (40% vs. 7%, P=0.02). Fetal ultrasonography was performed in 42 ZIKV-positive women (58%) and in all ZIKV-negative women. Fetal abnormalities were detected by Doppler ultrasonography in 12 of the 42 ZIKV-positive women (29%) and in none of the 16 ZIKV-negative women. Adverse findings included fetal deaths at 36 and 38 weeks of gestation (2 fetuses), in utero growth restriction with or without microcephaly (5 fetuses), ventricular calcifications or other central nervous system (CNS) lesions (7 fetuses), and abnormal amniotic fluid volume or cerebral or umbilical artery flow (7 fetuses). To date, 8 of the 42 women in whom fetal ultrasonography was performed have delivered their babies, and the ultrasonographic findings have been confirmed. Conclusions Despite mild clinical symptoms, ZIKV infection during pregnancy appears to be associated with grave outcomes, including fetal death, placental insufficiency, fetal growth restriction, and CNS injury.