Inactivation of Zika virus in human breast milk by prolonged storage or pasteurization

Stephanie Pfaender; Nathalie J Vielle; Nadine Ebert; Eike Steinmann; Marco P Alves; Volker Thiel

doi:10.1016/j.virusres.2016.11.025

Inactivation of Zika virus in human breast milk by prolonged storage or pasteurization

Virus Res. 2017 Jan 15:228:58-60. doi: 10.1016/j.virusres.2016.11.025. Epub 2016 Nov 23.

Authors

Stephanie Pfaender¹, Nathalie J Vielle², Nadine Ebert¹, Eike Steinmann³, Marco P Alves¹, Volker Thiel⁴

Affiliations

¹ Department of Infectious Diseases and Pathobiology, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland; Federal Department of Home Affairs, Institute of Virology and Immunology, Bern and Mittelhäusern, Switzerland.
² Department of Infectious Diseases and Pathobiology, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland; Federal Department of Home Affairs, Institute of Virology and Immunology, Bern and Mittelhäusern, Switzerland; Graduate School for Cellular and Biomedical Sciences, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland.
³ Institute for Experimental Virology, TWINCORE Centre for Experimental and Clinical Infection Research; a Joint Venture Between the Medical School Hannover (MHH) and the Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research (HZI), Hannover, Germany.
⁴ Department of Infectious Diseases and Pathobiology, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland; Federal Department of Home Affairs, Institute of Virology and Immunology, Bern and Mittelhäusern, Switzerland. Electronic address: volker.thiel@vetsuisse.unibe.ch.

PMID: 27889615
DOI: 10.1016/j.virusres.2016.11.025

Abstract

Zika virus infection during pregnancy poses a serious risk for pregnant women as it can cause severe birth defects. Even though the virus is mainly transmitted via mosquitos, human-to-human transmission has been described. Infectious viral particles have been detected in breast milk of infected women which raised concerns regarding the safety of breastfeeding in areas of Zika virus transmission or in case of a suspected or confirmed Zika virus infection. In this study, we show that Zika virus is effectively inactivated in human breast milk after prolonged storage or upon pasteurization of milk.

Keywords: Antiviral; Breast milk; Pasteurization; Stability; Zika virus.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Disinfection* / methods
Female
Food Microbiology* / methods
Humans
Milk, Human / virology*
Pasteurization* / methods
Virus Inactivation*
Zika Virus*