Open AccessSevere fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome virus infection during pregnancy in C57/BL6 mice causes fetal damage
Author(s) -
Rui Chen,
Zengqiang Kou,
Xiaorui Wang,
Shuhan Li,
Hai-lu Zhang,
Ziwei Liu,
Dong Cheng,
Zhiyu Wang,
XueJie Yu,
Hongling Wen
Publication year - 2020
Publication title -
plos neglected tropical diseases
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.99
H-Index - 135
eISSN - 1935-2735
pISSN - 1935-2727
DOI - 10.1371/journal.pntd.0008453
Subject(s) - fetus , severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome , pregnancy , medicine , placenta , abortion , immunology , biology , virus , genetics
Background Severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome virus (SFTSV) is a novel tick-borne phlebovirus, which is listed in the most dangerous pathogens by the World Health Organization, and has 12–30% fatality rates. SFTSV antibodies were reported in minks that experienced abortion or reproductive failure. The aim of this study was to determine whether SFTSV infection causes an adverse pregnancy outcome in the fetus using a pregnant mouse model. Methodology/Principal findings We found SFTSV in the fetus after infection in pregnant mice, and some dams showed adverse pregnancy outcomes after infection with SFTSV including placental damage, fetal reabsorption, and fetal intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR). SFTSV had obvious tropism characteristics in the placenta, especially in the labyrinth. In early-gestation, pregnant mice infected with SFTSV had fetal IUGR and a high viral load in the fetus. The virus widely spread in infected fetuses, including the hindbrain, thymus, heart, spinal cord, and liver. Conclusions Our study demonstrated that SFTSV was vertically transmitted to the fetus through the placental barrier of immunocompetent mice, and resulted in adverse pregnancy outcomes.