Monoclonal Antibodies Show Promise as the Key to Zika Virus Diagnostics

Before 2016, little was known about Zika virus and its potentially devastating effects on fetuses and newborns. It quickly grew into a worldwide epidemic of crippling proportions. Flaviviruses are predominantly transmitted by a mosquito vector, but Zika virus is the first Flavivirus to demonstrate sexual transmission. Although largely asymptomatic, infection during a woman's pregnancy can cause fetal abnormalities such as microcephaly and intracranial calcifications, leading to serious developmental issues in newborns. There remains no vaccine or definitive treatment. However, identification of Zika virus is paramount, particularly because the strain thought to cause fetal abnormalities has spread in Central and South America and the Caribbean. Diagnosis of Zika virus infection in pregnant women prompts frequent and routine monitoring of the developing fetus and consideration of pregnancy termination. Because of the potential …