Zika virus infection in the genital tract of non-pregnant females: a systematic review

Authors

  • Fabrício Morelli Universidade Estadual de Maringá, Departamento de Análises Clínicas e Biomedicina
  • Raquel Pantarotto Souza Universidade Estadual de Maringá, Departamento de Análises Clínicas e Biomedicina
  • Taís Elisângela da Cruz Universidade Estadual de Maringá, Departamento de Análises Clínicas e Biomedicina
  • Gabrielle Marconi Zago Ferreira Damke Universidade Estadual de Maringá, Departamento de Análises Clínicas e Biomedicina
  • Edilson Damke Universidade Estadual de Maringá, Departamento de Análises Clínicas e Biomedicina
  • Tamy Tuani Suehiro Universidade Estadual de Maringá, Departamento de Análises Clínicas e Biomedicina
  • Vânia Ramos Sela da Silva Universidade Estadual de Maringá, Departamento de Análises Clínicas e Biomedicina
  • Marcia Edilaine Lopes Consolaro Universidade Estadual de Maringá, Departamento de Análises Clínicas e Biomedicina

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.1590/S1678-9946202062016

Keywords:

Zika virus, Female, Non-pregnant, Genital tract

Abstract

This review provides a general overview on the positivity and persistence of Zika virus (ZIKV) in female genital tract (FGT) of non-pregnant women and animals, as well as in cell cultures, and its influence on FGT health. We performed a systematic review based on the PRISMA statement to identify studies focused on “Zika virus” and “non-pregnant female” in PubMed, Embase, Scopus Scholar and Web of Knowledge databases of full-text papers and abstracts published in English, with no restrictions regarding the initial date of publication, up to August 2019. Our search terms yielded 625 records, that were 108 after removal of duplicates, leaving 517 items for title and abstract reviews. Of these, 475 did not meet the inclusion criteria, leaving 42 records for full-text review and resulting in the exclusion of 6 additional records. The remaining 36 met our inclusion criteria. Variations were observed regarding the presence and persistence of ZIKV in lower and upper genital samples. However, the FGT was the place in which ZIKV RNA has been detected, sometimes for relatively long periods, even after the clearance from blood and urine. In addition to the vagina and cervix, the endometrium, uterus and ovary (oocytes and follicles) could also be involved in persistent ZIKV infections. Further prospective studies are needed to assess the effect of ZIKV on FGT health.

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Published

2020-02-28

Issue

Section

Review

How to Cite

Zika virus infection in the genital tract of non-pregnant females: a systematic review. (2020). Revista Do Instituto De Medicina Tropical De São Paulo, 62, e16. https://doi.org/10.1590/S1678-9946202062016