A Taiwanese research team has detailed a potential defense mechanism against the Zika virus in a study published in Communication Biology on Wednesday, suggesting those with prior exposure to dengue fever and Japanese encephalitis might have acquired immunity against the virus.
Currently, the Zika virus has been reported in 89 nations or regions, according to the WHO, with more than 800,000 infections in Latin America and the Caribbean from 2015 to 2022 based on figures provided by global data and business intelligence platform Statista.
Although the Zika virus often causes no symptoms in those infected, it has been linked to severe birth defects such as microcephaly, according to the research team headed by Chao Day-yu (趙黛瑜), a professor at National Chung-Hsing University’s Graduate Institute of Microbiology and Public Health.
Photo courtesy of Chao Day-yu via CNA
“Contrary to the local Zika virus transmission in neighboring Asian countries, Taiwan detects only imported Zika virus cases without any local transmission,” said Chao, whose study suggests the possibility that regions with common Japanese encephalitis vaccination and dengue infections might exhibit immunity against the Zika virus.
Taiwan started fully implementing a Japanese encephalitis vaccination program for children in 1968, and periodic dengue fever epidemics have occurred in the south of the nation since 1980.
In the study, Chao and her team said that in Taiwanese who previously recovered from dengue fever and were exposed to Japanese encephalitis, an antibody — K8b — attaches to the Zika virus in a unique way and potentially neutralizes the virus’ harmful effects.
The antibody can inhibit at least six flaviviruses, including Zika virus, and experiments with mice immunized against Japanese encephalitis also showed a quick response to dengue fever, reinforcing the cross-protection hypothesis and providing insights for vaccine strategies in regions prone to flaviviruses.
“The study provided scientific evidence for the first time that the low Zika virus incidence and its associated microcephaly in Southeast Asia could be partly explained by the high endemicity of the dengue virus and the high rate of Japanese encephalitis vaccination in the region,” Chao said.
This discovery not only sheds light on the immune system’s response, but also proposes that existing Japanese encephalitis vaccines might offer protection against the Zika virus in dengue-prone regions, which is crucial for pregnant women and travelers to areas where the Zika virus is prevalent.
While the findings are promising, the researchers emphasize the need for further clinical research to validate the efficacy of such cross-protection and explore potential vaccine combinations.
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