Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever virus localization and shedding in the reproductive tract of lethal and survivor mouse models
Teresa E. Sorvillo, Jana M. Ritter, Stephen R. Welch, Katherine A. Davies, JoAnn D. Coleman-McCray, Heather M. Hayes, Georgia Ficarra, Julu Bhatnagar, Scott D. Pegan, Éric Bergeron, Joel M. Montgomery, Christina F. Spiropoulou, Jessica R. Spengler
TL;DR
This study investigates how Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever virus behaves in the reproductive tract of mice, finding that it can be transmitted sexually during acute infection.
Contribution
The study provides the first direct evidence of potential sexual transmission of CCHFV in a mouse model.
Findings
Infectious CCHFV was detected in urogenital swabs during acute infection.
No long-term viral persistence was observed in survivor mouse models.
The findings suggest a risk of sexual transmission even in mild disease cases.
Abstract
Hemorrhagic fever viruses have been shown to localize to immune-privileged sites, including the reproductive tract, raising important questions about long-term persistence and the potential for sexual transmission. Anecdotal evidence of sexual transmission of Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever virus (CCHFV) has been reported, and in vivo studies suggest that CCHFV can localize to reproductive tissues; however, to date, this phenomenon has not been explicitly investigated. We evaluated histopathology and viral loads (viral RNA, viral antigen, and infectious viral titres) in reproductive tissues obtained from lethal and survivor mouse models of CCHFV during acute and convalescent phases of infection. Viral loads in urogenital swabs were also evaluated to assess the potential for virus transmission. Although no evidence of long-term persistence was observed in the survivor model of CCHF, our…
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Taxonomy
TopicsViral Infections and Vectors · Mosquito-borne diseases and control · Vector-Borne Animal Diseases