Zika is carried by mosquitoes both in Brownsville and across the border in Mexico. With so many people going back and forth every day, it’s hard to know exactly where they picked Zika up.
Students’ kit can detect Zika and dengue faster
A team from Singapore Polytechnic devised a kit to detect and distinguish between Zika and dengue infections. The test only takes 10 minutes, is non-invasive and contains a test-line mechanism similar to a pregnancy test kit.
Florida reports new case of locally acquired Zika infection
Florida health officials recently reported a new locally acquired Zika infection in Miami-Dade County and 4 new travel-related cases in South Florida, raising the total number of Zika cases for 2017 to 29 people.
Zika remains a threat, with 6 cases logged in Maryland this year
With 6 travel-related Zika cases already reported, Maryland officials are starting to gear up efforts for a new outbreak of the Zika virus. With researchers tying the mosquito-borne virus to potentially deadly heart problems, adult Zika patients must now see a cardiologist.
Some birth defects 20 times more likely for moms with Zika, CDC says
Zika-related birth defects were seen in about 3 out of every 1,000 births during 2013-2014 compared to 60 out of every 1,000 completed pregnancies where the mother tested positive for a Zika infection.
Vaccine hope for Zika
The first vaccine to be approved for clinical trials by the U.S. is now undergoing human trials in the U.S., Canada and Puerto Rico. The vaccine has the potential to also protect the male reproductive organ, preserving fertility and restricting testicular damage.
Zika outbreak: Only Asian lineage of virus linked with microcephaly, concludes US researchers
Research shows that the Asian lineage Zika virus halted the proliferation of brain stem cells and hindered their ability to develop into brain nerve cells. The Zika infection was mainly found in glial cells, which provide support and insulation for the brain.
Zika crosses the placenta by latching on to fetal blood vessels
Zika is able to cross the placental barrier and infect cells that line blood vessel walls by latching onto the protein on the cells’ surface. Researchers showed that the antibodies that bind to the AXL protein prevented Zika from entering cells.
The panic is over at Zika’s epicenter. But for many, the struggle has just begun.
Babies diagnosed with CZS continue to struggle in NE Brazil. As a result, many families held off pregnancy. The birthrate in Pernambuco, which includes Recife, fell 7% last year as 70% of Recife’s inhabitants contracted Zika in 2015 and 2016. The birthrate dropped 45% at private clinics.
Microcephaly case linked to zika virus
A premature baby with Microcephaly died during childbirth last November in the state of Oaxaca, Mexico. The diagnosis showed traces of the Zika virus in the amniotic fluid.
