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New research presents strong evidence that the Zika virus can indeed cause a range of abnormalities in pregnant women infected with the virus — with the effects manifesting any time during pregnancy. Some of the abnormalities noted have not been reported in connection with the virus. In a study published online March 4 in the New England Journal of Medicine, researchers at UCLA and at the Fiocruz Institute in Brazil found that clinical and ultrasound data in 29 percent of women who tested positive for the Zika virus revealed associations between infection and “grave outcomes” that included fetal death, placental insufficiency with low to no amniotic fluid, fetal growth restriction and central nervous system damage in the fetus, including potential blindness.

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Florida State University researchers have made a major breakthrough in the quest to learn whether the Zika virus is linked to birth defects with the discovery that the virus is directly targeting brain development cells and stunting their growth. This is the first major finding by scientists that shows that these critical cells are a target of the virus and also negatively affected by it.

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Working with lab-grown human stem cells, a team of researchers suspect they have discovered how the Zika virus probably causes microcephaly in fetuses. The virus selectively infects cells that form the brain’s cortex, or outer layer, making them more likely to die and less likely to divide normally and make new brain cells.

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Researchers will study the health effects of Zika on pregnant women and babies, the effectiveness of drones for vector control activities, and public understanding of the virus

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Georgetown public health law expert Lawrence O. Gostin, J.D., will address U.S. domestic preparedness for the fast-spreading Zika virus during testimony, given at the invitation of the U.S. House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations on Wednesday, March 2nd at 10:15 a.m.

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As many as 4 million people could be infected with the Zika virus by the end of the year, according to the World Health Organization. The Zika virus is transmitted by mosquito bites to people predominantly in Central and South America. Although the most typical symptoms of the virus are mild and similar to the flu, pregnant woman face more serious dangers: Cases of microcephaly, a birth defect that could causes a baby’s head to stop growing after birth, may be associated with the virus. University of Missouri researchers say a combination of different strategies is needed to fully tackle the mysteries of the Zika virus.

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Georgetown infectious disease expert Daniel Lucey, MD, MPH, will deliver a presentation titled “WHO Reforms and UN Action” during the “Ebola and Beyond: Preparing for the Next Pandemic” symposium at the 17th International Congress on Infectious Diseases (ICID), March 2-5, 2016 in Hyderabad, India.

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With the outbreak of viruses like Zika, chikungunya, and dengue on the rise, public health officials are desperate to stop transmission.

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The World Health Organization posted its “ZIKA Strategic Response Framework & Joint Operations Plan” on Feb. 16. Global health law expert Lawrence O. Gostin, JD, faculty director of the O’Neill Institute for National and Global Health Law at Georgetown University, is pleased to see the WHO plan but says the financing needed to stem the Zika epidemic is grossly underestimated.

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Global concerns about Zika virus aren’t stopping Americans from making international travel plans, a new study finds, but many who do plan to go abroad say they want more information about the virus.

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Northern Arizona University researcher studies the impact of CMV on healthcare providers.

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A common toxin used to kill yellow fever mosquito larvae – the most prevalent transmitter of dengue, chikungunya and zika viruses – is highly effective. While there are some fitness advantages to surviving adults, this is still an effective way to control the damaging health impacts of these mosquito-borne diseases, a new University of Florida study shows.

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Some of the first experiments studying Zika virus in monkeys will be conducted by a broad UW–Madison team that includes the Wisconsin National Primate Research Center and experts in infectious disease, pregnancy and neurology.

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Public concerns about Zika triggered UF/IFAS scientists to write a new Extension document to explain the virus. The paper can be found at http://bit.ly/1QTLDqO. FMEL scientists also have crafted a new question-and-answer document for their website, http://bit.ly/1O0eLbi.

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The World Health Organization’s (WHO) recent announcement of a public health emergency of international concern has many individuals searching for information on the Zika virus. Larry Kociolek, MD, Infectious Diseases at Lurie Children’s explains the virus, addresses the concern for risk in pregnant women and how you can prevent contracting the illness.

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Columbia University Medical Center and Mailman School of Public Health experts offer insight into the arrival of the Zika virus in South America and the Caribbean.

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The University of Georgia announced Wednesday that it has entered into a collaborative research agreement with GeoVax Labs Inc. to develop and test a vaccine to prevent the emerging and virulent Zika virus infection.

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If you hadn’t heard of the Zika virus, chances are that has changed with recent reports of outbreaks of the mosquito-borne illness in Latin America, and possible cases in the United States.

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Preliminary findings published in The Lancet, one of the world’s most prestigious journals

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As it spreads throughout South and Central America and beyond, Zika presents a unique challenge to health officials and to the public. University of Maryland School of Medicine infectious disease specialists can offer insight into the virus, its potential hazards, and the possibility that it may spread to the U.S.

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Baylor University Biology Professor Richard Duhrkopf, Ph.D., says, "Given what is happening in the Caribbean and South America, the threat of Zika virus is real for the U.S."

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How concerned should you be about Zika virus? Colorado State University researchers weigh in on the topic.

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In October 2015, a team of researchers at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and Universidad de Sucre in Colombia ran the first tests confirming the presence of Zika virus transmission in the South American country. In a study published today, the team documents a disease trajectory that started with nine positive patients and has now spread to more than 13,000 infected individuals in that country.

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The Zika virus, unlike other mosquito-borne viruses such as dengue, is relatively unknown and unstudied. That is set to change since Zika, now spreading through Latin America and the Caribbean, has been associated with an alarming rise in babies born in Brazil with abnormally small heads and brain defects – a condition called microcephaly.

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University of Notre Dame researchers have reported the discovery of a major population of the mosquito species Aedes aegypti, the species capable of carrying tropical diseases such as Zika virus, dengue fever and chikungunya, in a Capitol Hill neighborhood in Washington, D.C. To add insult to injury, the team identified genetic evidence that these mosquitoes have overwintered for at least the past four years, meaning they are adapting for persistence in a northern climate well out of their normal range.

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Zika Virus is spread through bites from the Aedes aegypti mosquito, a primary focus of research for Canisius professor. Costanza, PhD, studies the natural history of these blood-sucking insects to better understand their implications on human health.

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