• Pediatric Infection and Vaccine
• /
• 제23권1호
• /
• pp.1-9
• /
• 2016

The Zika virus, a flavivirus related to dengue and Japanese encephalitis was discovered in the Zika forest in Uganda, 1947. Since Zika virus was first reported in Brazil in May 2015, infections have occurred in at least 40 countries, especially in the Americas. Zika virus infection usually is asymptomatic or causes mild illness, but may be related to severe clinical manifestations, particularly microcephaly and Guillain-$Barr{\acute{e}}$ syndrome. Although the possibility of autochthonous Zika virus transmission in South Korea is low, the imported cases and Zika virus-transmitting mosquito should be adequately monitored and promptly managed. In addition, enhancing preparedness for Zika virus infection are needed.

• 대한수의학회지
• /
• 제61권2호
• /
• pp.12.1-12.9
• /
• 2021

The mosquito-borne pathogen Zika virus may result in neurological disorders such as Guillain-Barré syndrome and microcephaly. The virus is classified as a member of the Flaviviridae family and its wide spread in multiple continents is a significant threat to public health. So, there is a need to develop animal models to examine the pathogenesis of the disease and to develop vaccines. To examine the clinical profile during Zika virus infection, we infected neonatal and adult wild-type mice (C57BL/6 and Balb/c) and compared the clinical signs of African-lineage strain (MR766) and Asian-lineage strain (PRVABC59, MEX2-81) of Zika virus. Consistent with previous reports, eight-week-old female Balb/c mice infected with these viral strains showed no changes in body weight, survival rate, and neurologic signs, but demonstrated increases in the weights of spleens and hearts. However, one-day-old neonates showed significantly lower survival rate and body weight with the African-lineage strain than the Asian-lineage strain. These results confirmed the pathogenic differences between Zika virus strains. We also evaluated the clinical responses in neonatal and adult mice of different strains. Our findings suggest that these are useful mouse models for characterization of Zika virus for vaccine development.

• EDISON SW 활용 경진대회 논문집
• /
• 제5회(2016년)
• /
• pp.86-89
• /
• 2016

The Zika virus, which is a member of the flavivirus genus, poses a serious threat to humanity because there is no vaccine or cure. Zika is suspected to cause microcephaly, and it is rapidly spreading throughout parts of Brazil. Surprisingly, there are no known protein structures for the virus which are essential for drug and vaccine development. This paper investigates the Zika virus's nonstructural proteins with template-based modeling by using GalaxyTBM/Refine/SC. GalaxyDock was used to examine the effectiveness of various known serine protease inhibitors in inhibiting the Zika viral protease. In testing five inhibitors, Kunitz soybean trypsin inhibitor showed the strongest binding affinity (-10.082 kcal/mol). This paper provides a rudimentary foundation for further drug discovery research regarding the Zika virus.

• 근관절건강학회지
• /
• 제28권3호
• /
• pp.209-216
• /
• 2021

Purpose: This study aimed to determine the effect of knowledge and attitudes of preventive behavior plans (PBPs) on Zika virus infection among university students. Methods: Participants included 130 students from H University in Korea. Electronic self-reported questionnaires were used to collect data. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, t-test, ANOVA, Pearson's correlation coefficient, and regression analysis with SPSS/WIN 23.0. Results: The mean percentile score for knowledge was 35.52±20.63. The mean scores for attitudes and PBPs were 3.31±0.47 and 3.07±0.72, respectively, out of 5 points. Knowledge (t=-5.79, p<.001), attitudes (t=-3.17, p=.002), and PBPs (t=-2.67, p=.009) differed significantly with respect to awareness concerning Zika virus infection. The factor 'attitudes' significantly affected PBPs, with an R² value of 12.0% (β=.27, p<.001). Conclusion: Developing a correct attitude toward Zika virus infection may be key to improving preventive behaviors. Health education messages should be tailored to increase preventive behaviors against Zika virus infection. Nursing educators will benefit from partnerships with health educators and by using internet media to speed up the dissemination of Zika virus information.

• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
• /
• 제56권1호
• /
• pp.61-70
• /
• 2018

We developed a Rapid Diagnostic Test (RDT) kit for detecting IgG/IgM antibodies against Zika virus (ZIKV) using monoclonal antibodies to the envelope (E) and non-structural protein 1 (NS1) of ZIKV. These proteins were produced using baculovirus expression vector with Sf9 cells. Monoclonal antibodies J2G7 to NS1 and J5E1 to E protein were selected and conjugated with colloidal gold to produce the Zika IgG/IgM RDT kit (Zika RDT). Comparisons with ELISA, plaque reduction neutralization test (PRNT), and PCR were done to investigate the analytical sensitivity of Zika RDT, which resulted in 100% identical results. Sensitivity and specificity of Zika RDT in a field test was determined using positive and negative samples from Brazil and Korea. The diagnostic accuracy of Zika RDT was fairly high; sensitivity and specificity for IgG was 99.0 and 99.3%, respectively, while for IgM it was 96.7 and 98.7%, respectively. Cross reaction with dengue virus was evaluated using anti-Dengue Mixed Titer Performance Panel (PVD201), in which the Zika RDT showed cross-reactions with DENV in 16.7% and 5.6% in IgG and IgM, respectively. Cross reactions were not observed with West Nile, yellow fever, and hepatitis C virus infected sera. Zika RDT kit is very simple to use, rapid to assay, and very sensitive, and highly specific. Therefore, it would serve as a choice of method for point-of-care diagnosis and large scale surveys of ZIKV infection under clinical or field conditions worldwide in endemic areas.

• 한국임상약학회지
• /
• 제26권4호
• /
• pp.330-340
• /
• 2016

Objective: The outbreak of Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) started in South Korea in May 2015 and the end of crisis was declared in December 2015 by Korea Centers of Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC). However, Zika virus emerged in less than 2 months following MERS and showed higher mortality than other countries. This study is to assess the current prevention system of overseas infectious diseases, based on MERS and Zika virus outbreak and to suggest effective response system for the future. Methods: We conducted two surveys on medical specialists working at tertiary general hospitals regarding the effectiveness of responding system by KCDC against MERS and Zika virus and education in individual medical institutions using 5-Likert points. Response system was examined in three different periods as initial period, spreading period, and post disease period. Results: Although medical specialists received the notifications in initial period, no practical prevention was proven to be placed in responding stage by medical facilities (averagely 3.5/5 points in total and sub-analyses). During spreading period, there were several academic seminars conducted, which were evaluated as helpful. In post disease period, all answered that there were changes on patient treatment in all medical facilities, with mainly report system and the treatment regulations in case of suspicious patients for infection. Only 49% respondents answered positive on the possibility of initial responses. For questionnaire items regarding Zika virus, all answered that there were notifications prior to the first outbreak of the infected patient. Eighty% of respondents were aware of 'the Guideline system for traveling to dangerous areas', and answered that the system was moderately effective (averagely 3.8/5 points in total). For the effectiveness of prevention measures for foreign novel disease by KCDC, the average point was 3.0 in both of total and sub-analyses. Conclusion: There is not enough response system to prevent infectious disease in medical institutional and governmental levels in Korea. It would warrant the modification of overall medical system to improve preventive measures for initial spread of such diseases.

• 한국콘텐츠학회논문지
• /
• 제19권11호
• /
• pp.632-643
• /
• 2019

최근 지구 기후의 변화, 해외 여행객의 증가 및 국가 간 물류 이동의 증가 등과 같은 요인으로 인해 모기와 같은 절지동물이 매개하는 아보바이러스(arthropod-borne virus, arbovirus) 감염으로 인한 대규모의 피해가 전 세계적으로 끊임없이 발생하고 있다. 그 중에서도 플라비바이러스 속에 해당하는 지카 바이러스와 뎅기바이러스에 의한 피해가 대표적이다. 본 연구에서는 다양한 생물정보학 데이터베이스를 바탕으로 지카 바이러스 및 뎅기 바이러스가 숙주 감염에 필수적인 기능을 수행하는 외피 단백질에 대한 심층적인 분석을 수행했다. 외피 단백질을 구성하는 도메인들에 대한 분석을 통해 도메인의 종류, 위치 및 기능을 파악했으며 각 도메인별 상동성을 분석했다. 이로부터 낮은 상동성을 보이는 도메인인 EDIII를 도출하였으며, EDIII를 구성하는 펩타이드에 대한 상동성 및 면역원성 분석과 3차원 구조 모델링을 수행했다. 더 나아가 이들이 갖는 생물학적 의미와 활용 방안에 대해 논의했다.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
• /
• 제30권11호
• /
• pp.1651-1658
• /
• 2020

Since Zika virus (ZIKV) was first detected in Uganda in 1947, serious outbreaks have occurred globally in Yap Island, French Polynesia and Brazil. Even though the number of infections and spread of ZIKV have risen sharply, the pathogenesis and replication mechanisms of ZIKV have not been well studied. ZIKV, a recently highlighted Flavivirus, is a mosquito-borne emerging virus causing microcephaly and the Guillain-Barre syndrome in fetuses and adults, respectively. ZIKV polyprotein consists of three structural proteins named C, prM and E and seven nonstructural proteins named NS1, NS2A, NS2B, NS3, NS4A, NS4B, and NS5 in an 11-kb single-stranded positive sense RNA genome. The function of individual ZIKV genes on the host innate immune response has barely been studied. In this study, we investigated the modulations of the NF-κB promoter activity induced by the MDA5/RIG-I signaling pathway. According to our results, two nonstructural proteins, NS2A and NS4A, dramatically suppressed the NF-κB promoter activity by inhibiting signaling factors involved in the MDA5/RIG-I signaling pathway. Interestingly, NS2A suppressed all components of MDA5/RIG-I signaling pathway, but NS4A inhibited most signaling molecules, except IKKε and IRF3-5D. In addition, both NS2A and NS4A downregulated MDA5-induced NF-κB promoter activity in a dosedependent manner. Taken together, our results suggest that NS2A and NS4A signifcantly antagonize MDA5/RIG-I-mediated NF-κB production, and these proteins seem to be controlled by different mechanisms. This study could help understand the mechanisms of how ZIKV controls innate immune responses and may also assist in the development of ZIKV-specific therapeutics.

• Genomics & Informatics
• /
• 제14권3호
• /
• pp.104-111
• /
• 2016

Zika virus (ZIKV) is a mosquito borne pathogen, belongs to Flaviviridae family having a positive-sense single-stranded RNA genome, currently known for causing large epidemics in Brazil. Its infection can cause microcephaly, a serious birth defect during pregnancy. The recent outbreak of ZIKV in February 2016 in Brazil realized it as a major health risk, demands an enhanced surveillance and a need to develop novel drugs against ZIKV. Amodiaquine, prochlorperazine, quinacrine, and berberine are few promising drugs approved by Food and Drug Administration against dengue virus which also belong to Flaviviridae family. In this study, we performed molecular docking analysis of these drugs against nonstructural 3 (NS3) protein of ZIKV. The protease activity of NS3 is necessary for viral replication and its prohibition could be considered as a strategy for treatment of ZIKV infection. Amongst these four drugs, berberine has shown highest binding affinity of -5.8 kcal/mol and it is binding around the active site region of the receptor. Based on the properties of berberine, more similar compounds were retrieved from ZINC database and a structure-based virtual screening was carried out by AutoDock Vina in PyRx 0.8. Best 10 novel drug-like compounds were identified and amongst them ZINC53047591 (2-(benzylsulfanyl)-3-cyclohexyl-3H-spiro[benzo[h]quinazoline-5,1'-cyclopentan]-4(6H)-one) was found to interact with NS3 protein with binding energy of -7.1 kcal/mol and formed H-bonds with Ser135 and Asn152 amino acid residues. Observations made in this study may extend an assuring platform for developing anti-viral competitive inhibitors against ZIKV infection.

• 한국콘텐츠학회논문지
• /
• 제18권7호
• /
• pp.609-619
• /
• 2018

국내 방송사업자는 재난 상황에서 국민을 보호하고 국민이 재난에 신속히 대처할 수 있도록 관련 재난정보를 빠르고 정확하고 제공할 의무를 지닌다. 특히 한국공영방송 KBS는 방송통신발전 기본법 제40조의2에 의하여 '재난방송 등의 주관방송사'로 지정되어 있기 때문에 다른 방송사보다도 빠르고 정확하게 재난방송을 송출할 의무를 가지고 있다. 이 연구는 재난주관방송사가 지카바이러스와 관련된 사회적 재난 보도를 어떻게 다루고 있는지 살펴보고, 재난 대응에 도움이 되는 프레임을 시의적절하게 활용하였는지 평가하였다. 분석 결과, 재난이 발생한 사실을 단순히 알리는 역할을 하는 '사실 전달 프레임'의 비중이 가장 많았다. 반면 지카 바이러스의 원인 및 예방법을 소개하거나 지카 바이러스 감염 시 목격되는 증상과 진단 및 검사방법 등에 대한 정보를 제공하는 기사, 즉 '정보성 프레임'을 활용한 기사와 대책 마련에 대한 '책임 프레임'은 상대적으로 적은 것으로 나타났다. 이 연구는 이와 같은 분석 결과를 바탕으로 재난 보도의 효율성과 신뢰도를 제고하기 위한 방안에 대한 실무적 함의를 제시하였다.