Figure 1.

Zika virus (ZIKV) NS3 antigen in CD163‐positive macrophages impacts stromal changes in full‐term placentas. Representative haematoxylin and eosin (H&E)‐stained sections showing the placental disc (chorionic villi) and foetal membranes of three patients infected by ZIKV at different gestational ages. (a) Aggregates of vacuolated cells morphologically in keeping with Hofbauer cells are observed in the chorionic villi of all three infected patients. Areas highlighted by the black boxes are magnified in the lower panel. (b) Increased stromal and mononuclear cells are noted in the subamniotic connective tissue of the foetal membranes of the infected patients. All images were captured at 40× magnification. (c) Immunofluorescence microscopy was used to visualise ZIKV NS3 antigen (green) and CD163 protein (red) in the full‐term placentas of the ZIKV‐infected patients. The white arrows indicate co‐localisation of the ZIKV antigen and CD163 protein within the villous stroma of the placental disc. All images were captured at 40× magnification.