A drug – being studied as a preventative measure against fetal infection – would contain glycosaminoglycans, which the virus would find so irresistible that it would turn up its nose at the sugars in human cell membranes.
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.
Researchers crack structure of key protein in Zika virus
Researchers’ structural analysis of ZIKA NS5, a unique protein to the virus, reveals a potential binding site in the protein for an inhibitor, making it an ideal target for for anti-viral drug development.
Zika Cases Continue To Appear In Utah
So far, 29 travel-related cases of Zika have been registered in Utah, 11 of these cases have been pregnant women.
DNA may offer rapid road to Zika vaccine
Researchers will soon begin the 2nd phase of human clinical trials for a DNA vaccine candidate for Zika. 3½ months from design to injection is warp speed, but it’s easy to move very quickly with DNA vaccines.
Zika complications in Canadian travellers surprise researcher
5% of travelers who visited travel medicine clinics in British Columbia through Quebec from Oct. 2015 to Sept. 2016 sick with the Zika had a neurological condition including Guillain Barre.
Zika may cause miscarriages, thin brain tissue in babies carried to term
Researchers found that the Zika virus appears to create disorganization in the cellular layers of the placenta that keep toxins, bacteria and viruses from crossing, potentially allowing the virus to penetrate the fetus.
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.
Study: Zika’s Persistence in Body Fluids Surprisingly Long
The medians and 95th percentiles for the time until the loss of detectable Zika virus RNA detection were 14 days and 54 days, respectively, whereas 90% of patients infected with dengue viruses clear RNA within 10 days after the onset of symptoms.
