ZIKA

Makers of specially modified mosquitoes designed to combat the Zika virus have approached regulatory bodies in multiple countries seeking approval to use their products in the fight against the mosquito-borne virus.

Christina G. Tan, MD, MPH, FACP, New Jersey State Epidemiologist/Assistant Commissioner, provides background on New Jersey Department of Health’s Zika prevention program, ZAP Zika.

Zika virus is transmitted from mother to fetus through placental macrophages, according to a new study.

The Zika virus has left many scientists and doctors “astonished,” according to Margaret Chan, MD, MPH, director-general of WHO.

Christina G. Tan, MD, MPH, FACP, New Jersey State Epidemiologist/Assistant Commissioner, examines the probability of a Zika outbreak in New Jersey.

As of today, the CDC has changed the reporting criteria for Zika infection in pregnant women, to include those who are asymptomatic but test positive for a flavivirus.

Researchers at the University of Texas Medical Branch (UTMB) at Galveston have successfully cloned the Zika virus strain.

“An outbreak anywhere is a risk everywhere,” according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Officers of the CDC’s Epidemic Intelligence Service (EIS) are studying several emerging infections – those that have recently increased or show signs of increasing soon – and five researchers presented their results May 4 in the Emerging Infections session of the 65th Annual Epidemic Intelligence Service (EIS) Conference in Atlanta, Georgia.

Christina G. Tan, MD, MPH, FACP, New Jersey State Epidemiologist/Assistant Commissioner, explains how health care practitioners can aid in the prevention of Zika virus infections.

Christina G. Tan, MD, MPH, FACP, New Jersey State Epidemiologist/Assistant Commissioner, discusses Zika vector prevalence and infection prevention in New Jersey

The Senate has voted to grant $1.2 billion in funding to fight the impending local transmission of the Zika virus in the United States.

Researchers from the National Infection Service at Public Health England (PHE) in the UK may have identified the perfect platform for trials of future vaccines and antivirals for the management of Zika.

Seven monkeys in Ceará, Brazil have tested positive for the Zika virus.

Health officials in Puerto Rico have reported the first Zika-related case of microcephaly. The announcement comes on the heels of news of the first Zika-related death in the country just last week.

It would seem that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is not waiting for Congress to decide on Zika funding.

Opinion polls indicate the general public remains relatively unconcerned about the threat of Zika, despite the existence of confirmed cases in the United States.

It has been more than 50 years since an epidemic resulted in as many birth defects as the Zika virus. To address this epidemic, the second in a series of six teleconferences, hosted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), discussed Zika infection during pregnancy as well as subsequent birth defects.

Congress is in the midst of approving a bill that may grant over $1 billion in funds to combat the active transmission of the Zika virus in the United States.

Rohit Bhalla, DO, Chief of the Section of Infectious Diseases at the University Medical Center of Princeton, discusses a concerning trend among individuals to purposefully infect themselves with the Zika virus, in the hopes of building up an immunity.

To inform Puerto Rico residents of the threat of the Zika virus, the National Association of Chain Drug Stores (NACDS) Foundation has launched a digital Zika education campaign.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) just released updated guidance for Zika diagnostic testing.

Margaret Honein, MPH, PhD, chief of Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)’s Birth Defects Branch in the National Center on Birth Defects and Developmental Disabilities updated health professionals at a special session on Zika virus infection during the 65th Annual EIS Conference in Atlanta, Georgia.

Rohit Bhalla, DO, Chief of the Section of Infectious Diseases at the University Medical Center of Princeton, shares what other diseases could be mistaken for a Zika virus infection.

Officials are stating that although the first case of locally-acquired Zika virus in the United States may be weeks or months away, the time to prepare is now.

Researchers have found a potential solution for the troubling spread of Zika virus in Brazil and across the Southern hemisphere—and it’s bacteria.

As the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) learns more about the threat of Zika virus infection on pregnant women and their growing fetuses, it will continue to share its knowledge with researchers, healthcare providers and the public.

The Ministry of Health (MOH) of Brazil has confirmed 1,271 nationwide cases of microcephaly.

Rohit Bhalla, DO, Chief of the Section of Infectious Diseases at the University Medical Center of Princeton, explains the current guidelines for women with regards to pregnancy and the Zika virus.

Recent data from Bahia State, Brazil, show that Zika virus infection during the first trimester of pregnancy, or early in the second trimester, is associated with the observed increase in infants born with microcephaly.

Zika, Dengue, Chikungunya. These are the most recent viruses causing outbreaks in several regions of the world, all spread through the bite of an infected female Aedes aegypti mosquito. There is currently no cure for these viruses, which makes infection prevention a priority.