‘Indian firm’s Zika virus vaccine 100% efficient in animal trials’ according to : biospectrumasia

The vaccine was found to confer 100% protection against infection caused by an Asian Zika virus strain as well as by the African Zika virus strain. A 'killed virus vaccine' or 'inactivated vaccine' contains virus that has been grown in culture and then killed using physical or chemical processes. The Hyderabad-based Bharat Biotech's 'killed Zika virus vaccine' using an African strain has shown 100% efficacy against mortality and disease in animal studies, a study has shown. It is important to prove that the vaccine developed with the African strain also protects against Zika infection caused by the contemporary Asian strains of Zika virus. All the animals that were not vaccinated died eight days after infection by the African strain and 12 days after infection by the Asian strain.




JUNEAU, Alaska (AP) — State health officials say an Alaska resident who recently traveled to Central America has tested positive for the mosquito-borne Zika virus. The state health department says prior cases of Zika were reported in Alaska in 2007 and 2016. However, pregnant women can pass the virus to their fetus, and infection during pregnancy can cause birth defects. According to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, many people infected with the virus will have mild symptoms or no symptoms at all. He also says it is transmitted by mosquito species native to warmer climates that do not live in Alaska.

Zika virus persists in the central nervous system and lymph nodes of Rhesus monkeys

Zika virus persists in the central nervous system and lymph nodes of Rhesus monkeysVirus found in tissues weeks after clearance from blood. The findings suggest that persistent virus in the central nervous system may contribute to the neurological issues associated with Zika virus infection in people, the authors note. Investigators infected 20 rhesus monkeys with Zika virus and noted that although virus was cleared from peripheral blood within 7-10 days, they detected Zika virus in CSF for up to 42 days and in lymph nodes and colorectal biopsies for up to 72 days. About the National Institutes of Health (NIH): NIH, the nation's medical research agency, includes 27 Institutes and Centers and is a component of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Immunologic data showed that the emergence of Zika virus-specific neutralizing antibodies correlated with the rapid control of the virus in plasma.


collected by :Sandra Alex
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