Zika Virus

Zika virus and Ebola virus spread can be predicted using climate change trends, according to research. The findings come from the University College London where researchers found that predicting zoonotic diseases may be possible through analyzing fluctuating global demographic and environmental patterns. Zoonotic diseases are transmitted by animals and insects to humans. So far, Ebola ...click here to read more

Lyme disease and Zika virus are known as zoonotic diseases, meaning they come from animals and spread to humans. Both illnesses are currently on the rise in the U.S. and worldwide, so it’s important to have a good understanding of each in order to effectively protect yourself and your family. Lyme disease is transmitted through ...click here to read more

Previous reports found that Zika virus can affect the vision of children, but a new study has uncovered that it can also affect the eyes of adults. Doctors in Brazil found that a man infected with Zika virus developed a potentially severe eye condition. Coauthor Dr. Benedito Antonio Lopes da Fonseca said, “Zika patients should ...click here to read more

Thanks to the Zika virus, mosquito-borne diseases that were once a rarity in the United States are making the headlines a bit too often for comfort in the country. In an effort to curb the spread of the virus, and prevent a Zika epidemic, researchers from the centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) are ...click here to read more

Birth defects risk in Zika virus depends on the timing of infection during pregnancy, according to a new study. If Zika infection occurs during the first two trimesters of pregnancy, then the risk of Zika-related birth defects increases. The researchers from the U.S. and Colombia looked at over 12,000 pregnancies in Colombian women. The study ...click here to read more

Protecting yourself against mosquito and tick bites this summer is important in order to reduce your risk of contracting Zika virus and Lyme disease. Both Zika virus and Lyme disease are on the rise, and although there haven’t been any locally transmitted Zika virus cases, the threat of mosquito-borne illnesses still exists. Here are some tips to help reduce ...click here to read more

With the rising threat of Zika virus, individuals need to protect themselves more from mosquito bites, especially from mosquitoes carrying the virus. Zika virus is transmitted by Aedes aegypti mosquitoes. Symptoms of Zika virus include fever, rash, joint pain, and red eyes. Although symptoms are mild and non-threatening in healthy individuals, Zika virus poses a ...click here to read more

Zika virus transmission through sexual intercourse is more common than the World Health Organization (WHO) originally believed it to be. Women looking to get pregnant should wait at least eight weeks, the United Nations officials recommend, if they or their partners live in or have visited a Zika-ridden country. Although mosquito bites are the most ...click here to read more

Zika virus cases in Florida have exceeded 100, new cases have been reported in New York City, so mosquito bite prevention is critical to stop the spread. So far the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has reported 591 travel-associated cases of Zika virus in the U.S., with 121 in Florida and 127 in New ...click here to read more

Zika virus has now been linked to vision problems in babies. Zika virus is already associated with microcephaly, which is a birth defect that causes abnormally small heads and brains in babies. Research has found that one-third of Brazilian babies with microcephaly also have vision problems as well, including ocular lesions, optic nerve abnormalities, and ...click here to read more

In the U.S., cases of Zika virus in pregnancy have tripled, and experts suggest the virus may spread to Europe this summer. The rise in Zika pregnancy cases in the U.S. may be a result of government changes in the definition of what is counted as a Zika case. Previously, Zika cases included Zika-positive pregnant ...click here to read more

Zika virus development can be slowed down by experimental hepatitis C antiviral drug. Professor Johan Neyts explained, “The Zika virus is transmitted by the tiger mosquito. Roughly twenty percent of the people who are infected actually get sick. The most common symptoms, which last about a week, are fever, fatigue, joint and muscle pain, rash, ...click here to read more

Zika virus can be controlled by changes in mosquito mating and gene expression. The new Cornell study is looking into possible mosquito mating modifications to induce a change in gene expression as a means to combat Zika. Controlling the Aedes aegypti population is difficult as its bites are painless, it lives in close proximity to ...click here to read more

Zika virus strain in Brazil are more lethal than in Africa, and a new Zika clone has been engineered to help further research. The strain of Zika virus currently circulating in Brazil has been found to infect and cause damage to mice fetuses, and in stem cell cultures of the human nervous system, the infection ...click here to read more