Pichinde virus models intrauterine infection by hemorrhagic fever-causing arenaviruses

Little is known about the pathogenesis of this family of viruses in the placenta because many are endemic in resource-poor regions and must be studied in high containment laboratories. Pichinde virus (PICV) is a nonpathogenic arenavirus that causes hemorrhagic fever-like disease in guinea pigs.

In this study, we sought to assess whether PICV replicates in human trophoblasts and how infection affected pregnant guinea pigs. RNA-sequencing was done on PICV-infected human trophoblast stem cells and samples of placenta and decidua collected from infected and control pregnant guinea pigs.