Dengue Immunity May be Protective Against Symptomatic Zika, Study Finds

Children with a history of prior dengue virus infection had a significantly lower risk of being symptomatic when infected by Zika virus, according to an NIAID-supported study in Nicaragua of more than 3,000 children. It has been observed that a second dengue infection can be much more severe than a first dengue infection. Since dengue and Zika are closely related, experts have worried that prior dengue virus infection could exacerbate severe Zika disease. However, the new findings, published in PLOS Medicine, indicate that prior dengue immunity in children may in fact be protective against symptomatic Zika disease.