To evaluate the effects of
ZIKV infection on non-human primates (NHPs), as well as to investigate whether these NHPs develop sufficient
viremia to infect the major urban vector mosquito, Aedes aegypti, four cynomolgus macaques (Macaca fascicularis) were subcutaneously infected with 5.0 log10 focus-forming units (FFU) of
DNA clone-derived ZIKV strain FSS13025 (Asian lineage, Cambodia, 2010). Following
infection, the animals were sampled (blood, urine, tears, and saliva), underwent daily health monitoring, and were exposed to Ae. aegypti at specified time points. All four animals developed
viremia, which peaked 3⁻4 days post-
infection at a maximum value of 6.9 log10 genome copies/mL. No virus was detected in urine, tears, or saliva.
Infection by ZIKV caused minimal overt disease: serum biochemistry and CBC values largely fell within the normal ranges, and
cytokine elevations were minimal. Strikingly, the minimally colonized population of Ae. aegypti exposed to viremic animals demonstrated a maximum
infection rate of 26% during peak
viremia, with two of the four macaques failing to infect a single mosquito at any time point. These data indicate that cynomolgus macaques may be an effective model for
ZIKV infection of humans and highlights the relative refractoriness of Ae. aegypti for
ZIKV infection at the levels of
viremia observed.