# Zika Virus in Pregnancy in Nigeria

> **NIH NIH R21** · HARVARD UNIVERSITY D/B/A HARVARD SCHOOL OF PUBLIC HEALTH · 2020 · $181,350

## Abstract

PROJECT SUMMARY AND RELEVANCE
We recently described the “Continued transmission of Zika virus in humans in West Africa 1992-2016”.1 While
the long-term endemicity of Zika virus (ZIKV) and related flaviviruses in Africa had long been suspected, the
2015-16 ZIKV epidemic in the Americas and the associated microcephaly raised questions as to why we had
not recognized these distinct neurologic and congenital abnormalities in Africa. Genetic analysis has
distinguished African and Asian ZIKV lineages that have been postulated to be responsible for the dramatic
transmissibility and unique disease association recognized in the 2015-6 epidemic of the Americas. However,
increased recognition of the distinction between the ZIKV lineages has resulted in studies that demonstrate
similar transmission dynamics, neurotropism in cell culture systems and neurologic pathology or lesions in
cerebral organoids and murine models.3-6 Therefore, it is critical that the epidemiology and clinical
consequences of ZIKV in Africa be determined.
We propose studies that will provide new data on the prevalence of ZIKV, Dengue virus (DENV) and
Chikungunya virus (CHIKV) in pregnant women in north-central Nigeria. We will determine if infants born to
women in West Africa infected with ZIKV may be at high risk for microcephaly and/or congenital ZIKV
syndrome (CZS). Our long-term collaborators in Jos, Nigeria will recruit pregnant women attending two active
antenatal clinics (ANC). In response to reviewer suggestions, this revised application doubles the number of
pregnant women visits in order to increase the potential number of ZIKV infected pregnant women identified.
Women will be screened with a point of care ZIKV, DENV, CHIKV assay and further confirmed through nucleic
acid detection. We now estimate the identification of 320 ZIKV infected pregnant women for prospective
evaluation through delivery and evaluation of infants until 6 months of age for microcephaly or CZS
development. Through full length sequence analysis of ZIKV from pregnant women and affected infants, we
will assess the ZIKV viral lineage using both unbiased metagenomic and targeted ZIKV sequencing
approaches and compare to the lineages from the 2015-16 outbreak in the Americas.
Relevance
Environmental suitability modeling of ZIKV predicts that in Africa, Nigeria is the country with the highest risk for
ZIKV transmission.26 The impact of African ZIKV on pregnancy outcomes is unknown and research to address
this question is paramount to global public health and outbreak preparedness.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 9841884
- **Project number:** 5R21AI137840-02
- **Recipient organization:** HARVARD UNIVERSITY D/B/A HARVARD SCHOOL OF PUBLIC HEALTH
- **Principal Investigator:** Phyllis J. Kanki
- **Activity code:** R21 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2020
- **Award amount:** $181,350
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2018-12-21 → 2022-11-30

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/9841884

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 9841884, Zika Virus in Pregnancy in Nigeria (5R21AI137840-02). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-22 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/9841884. Licensed CC0.

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