Impact of Organophosphate Pesticide Exposures on Zika Infection Health Outcomes

Abstract

TPS 633: Health effects of pesticides, Johan Friso Foyer, Floor 1, August 27, 2019, 3:00 PM - 4:30 PM Zika infection during pregnancy is the first identified vector-borne human teratogen. Although causality was established, the rate of affected infants varies geographically, appearing to be higher in the rural areas than in urban settings. Environmental exposures, such as pesticides, may interact with Zika infection to result in different degrees of severity of disease or an increased risk to the infant. Pesticides and other environmental exposures are ubiquitous and some, such as organophosphate pesticides, are endocrine disruptors and have been associated with eliciting oxidative stress, as well as birth outcomes including miscarriages and developmental disabilities in children. The Zika in Infants and Pregnancy (ZIP) study, sponsored by NIH, is an observational cohort study that planned to recruit up to 10,000 pregnant women in 10 sites throughout South America, Central America, and Puerto Rico. Women are recruited on or before 18 weeks of gestation and followed monthly including clinical exams and specimen collection. Additionally, information is collected on health behaviors, home product use, household and occupational characteristics, as well as pesticide exposure laboratory analysis. The pesticide exposure analysis being presented is conducted by the NIEHS Children’s Health Exposure Analysis Resource (CHEAR) laboratory resources. This presentation will communicate the preliminary results of the urinary organophosphate metabolite analysis of over 2000 samples from about 1200 pregnant women in Puerto Rico, Nicaragua, Guatemala, and Brazil. This analysis will provide the first survey of pesticide exposures among pregnant women in several Latin American countries and will further the understanding of cause-effect relationships between pesticides and developmental defects. It is also a unique opportunity to understanding the potential interaction between ZIKV infection and pesticide exposure during pregnancy.