sciencedaily : declared in Zika virus blindfolds immune alarm cells: Interferon signaling disrupted in dendritic cells -- ScienceDaily

Gatekeeper immune cells are fighting Zika virus with an arm tied behind their backs, scientists from Emory Vaccine Center report. When Zika virus infects them, it shuts down interferon signaling, one route for mustering the antiviral troops. The authors also suspect that Zika targets other immune pathways in dendritic cells in addition to interferon signaling and continue to investigate those. All of the tested Zika viruses blocked type I interferon signaling, suggesting a highly conserved mechanism amongst Zika viruses to inhibit dendritic cell antiviral responses. Dendritic cells are "sentinel" cells that alert the rest of the immune system when they detect viral infection.

2 travel-related Zika virus cases reported in Warren County residents

The two travel-related cases of Zika virus are residents of Warren County who traveled to an area north of Venezuela. (WJTV) — The Mississippi State Department of Health is reporting its first cases of travel-related Zika virus for the year. There were 23 Mississippi travel-related Zika cases in 2016, MSDH officials said. There are no available treatments or vaccines for Zika virus. Zika is a mosquito-borne virus that can cause devastating birth defects if contracted during pregnancy.


Though no one has contracted Zika virus from a mosquito in California, hundreds of residents have been infected in other countries and then returned to the state. The ones Farned brought to this recent meeting in El Monte were Aedes mosquitoes — the kind that spread Zika virus, the disease discovered last year to cause birth defects. Farned has enlisted the help of the Buddhist organization Tzu Chi to try to spread the word about Aedes mosquitoes in the region. All it would take for the disease to start spreading here is for an Aedes mosquito to bite an infected traveler and then another person, experts say. The disease is transmitted only by Aedes mosquitoes, which aren't native to the Americas.



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