February 5, 2016

expert reaction to reports of Zika virus being detected in urine and saliva of two patients in Brazil

Reports from Brazil say that active Zika virus has been detected in urine and saliva of patients.

All our previous output on this subject can be seen here.

Prof. Jonathan Ball, Professor of Molecular Virology, University of Nottingham, said:

“Zika virus is spread by mosquitoes and there is no evidence that this is changing. Zika virus replicates mainly in the blood, but sometimes some of that virus can find its way into other body fluids such as urine and saliva. The amount of virus in these other body fluids will be low and the possibility of any of this virus finding its way into another person’s bloodstream is so small as to be nigh on impossible. This is not something to be concerned about, Zika’s primary route of transmission is the mosquito bite.”

Prof. Michael Bonsall, Professor of Mathematical Biology at the University of Oxford, said:

“The main route of transmission for these flavivirus (Zika, Dengue Chikungunya) remains Aedes mosquitoes. Determining whether Zika occurrence in salvia and urine are really viable virus and then constitute additional routes of transmission requires a lot more more robust investigation. Preventing mosquito bites is the first line of defence to breaking the transmission cycle.”

Declared interests:

Prof. Jonathan Ball: “No conflicts of interest.”

Prof. Michael Bonsall: “I was the Specialist Adviser to the inquiry on Genetically Modified Insects by the House of Lords Science and Technology Committee, and am a member of ACRE (Defra’s committee on releases into the environment).  The Advisory Committee on Releases to the Environment is independent scientific committee that through EU derivatives and national UK legislation is mandated to provide the UK government/ministers with advice on the environmental risks (to wider receiving environments/human health) of non-native and GM releases. I have been a member of this committee since December 2007.  I have carried out occasional consultancy work for WHO, NIH, and EFSA, including work on GM-based control methods for mosquitoes.  I have received research funding from BBSRC (including working with Oxitec on GM insects), Oxford Martin School, NERC, the Royal Statistical Society, and the Royal Entomological Society.  For full details of all my interests, please see: http://www.parliament.uk/documents/lords-committees/science-technology/GMInsects/michael-bonsall-specialist-adviser-interests.pdf”