Zika virus infection in early pregnancy increases the likelihood of persistent neutralizing antibodies

Our findings suggest long-term persistence of neutralizing antibodies in most women infected with ZIKV during pregnancy, especially when infection occurred in the first trimester of pregnancy ZIKV-specific nAb persistence was rare in children with antenatal exposure once maternal antibodies waned, reinforcing concerns about limited postnatal protection in this group. These results underscore the importance of further studies to clarify the role of neutralizing antibodies in long-term protection and disease pathogenesis, particularly in endemic regions where the risk of reinfection or exposure to related arboviruses remains high.