What the General Public Needs to Know About Zika: Southern Research Infectious Disease experts available to speak

MEDIA AVAILABILITY: January 29 and February 1, 2016 Media Contact: Rossi Carlson, 205-581-2266

What the General Public Needs to Know About Zika: Southern Research Infectious Disease experts available to speak

Birmingham, Alabama - Dr. Jonathan Rayner and Dr. Mohammad Saeed, infectious disease experts at Southern Research with a background in arthropod-borne viral diseases, are available to speak with the media today and Monday about Zika, the mosquito-borne virus ravaging South and Central America that the World Health Organization says is “spreading explosively.” To date, there are 31 people confirmed with Zika in the US.

What: Questions about what people in Central Alabama need to know: • Is there a risk of Zika or other mosquito-borne viruses spreading in Alabama?• How is the infectious disease research community in the U.S. currently approaching Zika or what has been done prior to this latest threat?• How does Zika differ from other mosquito-borne infectious diseases? • What should you do if you have travel plans to an area that has been affected by Zika, or if you have additional questions about protecting your family?• What does research tell us about Zika and other mosquito-borne viruses?

Who: Jonathan Rayner, Ph.D. Director, Infectious Disease Research (Bio) Southern Research Mohammad Saeed, Ph.D. Research Scientist, Infectious Diseases (Bio) Southern Research

When: Immediate (by appointment)

Where: Southern Research, Birmingham Campus

Recent ZIKA National Press:UN to Decide if Zika is a Global Health Emergency (Associated Press: January 27, 2016 )Zika Virus ‘Spreading Explosively,’ WHO leader says (CNN: January 27, 2016)

About Southern ResearchSouthern Research is a not-for-profit 501(c)(3) organization with more than 400 scientists and engineers working across four divisions: drug discovery, drug development, engineering, and energy and environment. We work on behalf of the National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, the U.S. Department of Defense, the U.S. Department of Energy, NASA, major aerospace firms, utility companies, and other private and government organizations as we solve the world’s hardest problems. SR, founded in 1941, is headquartered in Birmingham with additional laboratories and offices in Wilsonville and Huntsville, Alabama; Frederick, Maryland; Durham, North Carolina; Cartersville, Georgia; and Houston. Visit www.SouthernResearch.org for more information.