New York, Jan 20: Zika virus disrupts oxygen supply to a pregnant woman’s placenta, leading to impairment in foetal development and also increases the newborns’ susceptibility to additional infections, scientists have found.
The findings showed that Zika virus induces high levels of inflammation in the blood vessels of the uterus and damages placental villi, the branch-like growths that help transfer oxygen and nutrients from maternal blood to the fetus. This damage may disrupt oxygen transport to the foetus, which can restrict its growth and lead to stillbirth, among other conditions. “The role of a placenta is to protect and provide nutrition to a growing baby for optimum health,” said Antonio Frias, an obstetrician and gynecologist at Oregon Health and Science University.
“It’s concerning how much damage the Zika virus can do to a placenta,” Frias added. In a study, published in the journal Nature Communications, the team described how Zika virus infection in five pregnant rhesus monkeys caused placental tissues to become thickened and inflamed.
IANS