Zika virus outbreak

There were dozens of cases in the Indian city of Kanpur in November last year and a significant outbreak in Brazil in 2015.

There were dozens of cases in the Indian city of Kanpur in November last year and a significant outbreak in Brazil in 2015. There were dozens of cases in the Indian city of Kanpur in November last year and a significant outbreak in Brazil in 2015. The mosquito-borne Zika virus is a single mutation away from becoming more infectious and harmful, scientists say.

It sparked a global medical emergency in 2015 and 2016, with thousands of babies left brain-damaged. Advertisement. The Zika virus could mutate and cause ...

You can WhatsApp us on 07423 720 250. Email us at [email protected] or call 0207 782 4104. While there is a vaccine in development, the best way to protect against it is to prevent getting bitten. A team from the La Jolla Institute for Immunology found results from mosquitoes passing the virus to mice suggest it could easily create new variants. Scientists in the US have urged the world to keep a close eye out for this. The number of cases have dropped dramatically in recent years, but the virus still poses a "significant" long-term problem according to the World Health Organisation.

Latest research has revealed that a single mutation could Zika virus much more infectious and dangerous. Here's what you need to know about the ...

In terms of medication, you can take medicines like acetaminophen to reduce fever and pain. The virus is also linked to other problems like miscarriage, stillbirth and other birth defects. Many people infected with Zika virus usually don't have symptoms or suffer only mild ones.

The virus caused a global health emergency in 2016 and scientists are warning that it can 'easily mutate'

He said: "In areas where Zika is prevalent, a vast majority of people have already been exposed to dengue virus. The virus is able to infect a developing foetus, which could result in a condition known as microcephaly - resulting in babies being born with a small head and sometimes brain damage. Professor Surjan Shresta explained that the viruses are quick to mutate with one another, with researchers recreating infection cycles that switched back and forth between mosquito cells and mice.

The virus, for which there is currently no vaccine, can cause severe birth defects and neurological issues.

The team is now looking at ways to counter the mutation with vaccines and treatments. The two viruses share many biological properties, and an immune response for one can provide protection against the other. The symptoms are usually mild in adults.

A single mutation in an already rapidly evolving Zika virus could trigger another major outbreak of the disease by evading existing immunity, ...

Start your Independent Premium subscription today. In-Jeong Kim, a viral immunologist at Trudeau Institute in New York, where the vaccine was developed, said: “The vaccine has been shown to be safe for non-pregnant humans, but of course we need to know if it is safe and effective for the people at greatest risk: pregnant women and their foetuses.” Zika was first identified in monkeys in Uganda in 1947, and the latest outbreak in Brazil and other countries in the Americas in 2015 and 2016 caused a surge in miscarriages and birth defects.

Zika virus is a mosquito-borne disease whose infection of developing foetuses can cause serious birth defects like microcephaly, the development of a ...

In contrast, in adults, the virus is typically symptomless or only causes mild symptoms — such as fever, joint pain, headache, rashes and red eyes — that rarely last for more than a week. Zika virus is a mosquito-borne disease whose infection of developing foetuses can cause serious birth defects like microcephaly, the development of a smaller-than-normal head which is associated with impaired intellectual development and motor function issues. Paper author and biochemist Professor Jose Angel Regla-Nava of the University of Guadalajara, Mexico said: “This single mutation is sufficient to enhance Zika virus virulence.

In 2016, Zika virus declared global medical emergency. It is most dangerous for babies in womb causing them to have damaged brain tissue and microcephaly.

Due to the absence of curative treatment, it is best to protect oneself from bites. It is the most dangerous for babies in the womb, causing them to have damaged brain tissue and microcephaly. This is because the virus shows the capacity to easily shift and create new variants.

The disease caused a global medical emergency in 2016, with thousands of babies born with brain damage after their mothers were infected during pregnancy.

“This work shows how quickly changes to a single letter in a virus’s genome sequence can occur, and how much this affects the virus’ ability to become sick. “Follow the evolution of the virus. Zika virus is spread through the bite of an infected Aedes mosquito. Claire Taylor, Ph.D., of the Society for Applied Microbiology, said: “While these results were observed in laboratory experiments and therefore have limitations, they do suggest that potentially worrisome can arise during the normal cycle of Zika virus transmission. That means Zika is relatively prone to mutating, allowing the virus to thrive and spread, even in animals that previously had some immunity to a similar mosquito-borne infection called dengue. A new outbreak of Zika virus is entirely possible, and a single mutation could be enough to trigger an explosive spread, the researchers warn.

A major outbreak of the Zika virus, which can cause serious birth defects, could be on the cards after US scientists warned it has the potential to develop ...

"Unfortunately for us, if this variant becomes prevalent, we may have the same issues in real life." Lead investigator Prof Sujan Shresta said: "The Zika variant that we identified had evolved to the point where the cross-protective immunity afforded by prior dengue infection was no longer effective in mice. A new explosive outbreak of Zika virus could happen at any time as new research shows that a single mutation could trigger a major epidemic, scientists have warned.