Intranasal infection and contact transmission of Zika virus in Guinea pigs

Abstract

Zika virus (ZIKV) is primarily transmitted to humans through mosquito bites or sexual contact. The excretion and persistence of contagious ZIKV in various body fluids have been well documented in ZIKV patients; however, the risk of direct contact exposure remains unclear. Here, we show that Guinea pigs are susceptible to ZIKV infection via subcutaneous inoculation route; infected Guinea pigs exhibit seroconversion and significant viral secretion in sera, saliva, and tears. Notably, ZIKV is efficiently transmitted from infected Guinea pigs to naïve co-caged animals. In particular, intranasal inoculation of ZIKV is fully capable of establishing infection in Guinea pigs, and viral antigens are detected in multiple tissues including brain and parotid glands. Cynomolgus macaques also efficiently acquire ZIKV infection via intranasal and intragastric inoculation routes. These collective results from animal models highlight the risk of exposure to ZIKV contaminants and raise the possibility of close contact transmission of ZIKV in humans.