The virus, among other diseases, can cause microcephaly in fetuses leading them to be born with severe birth defects.
"It's so dramatic and irreversible," Tang said. "The probability of Zika-induced microcephaly occurring doesn't appear to be that high, but when it does, the damage is horrible."
Researchers around the world have been feverishly working to better understand the disease—which can be transmitted both by mosquito bite and through a sexual partner—and also to develop medical treatments.
Tang, Ming and Song first met in graduate school 20 years ago and got in contact in January because Tang, a virologist, had access to the virus and Ming and Song, neurologists, had cortical stem cells that scientists needed to test.
The group worked at a breakneck pace with researchers from Ming and Song's lab, traveling back and forth between Baltimore and Tang's lab in Tallahassee where they had infected the cells with the virus.
Zika drug breakthrough with existing drugs available
...existing drug compounds that can both stop Zika from replicating in the body
and from damaging the crucial fetal brain cells that lead to birth defects in newborns
It’s called Multi-targeted Therapeutics. Biotec companies finding other uses for known drugs which can swiftly get a drug to market to cure something other than its original use.
My dad was invested in one of the first startup companies doing this type of research.
I forget in which of the Twin Towers they had their offices.
ROCK
As you’ve probably already heard, the World Health Organization (WHO) recently made an announcement declaring the Zika virus to be a global health emergency. They did so without providing much detail about the disease, however, so here is some more information and answers to questions many people are asking, such as: Where did it come from? And do the millions of genetically modified mosquitoes that have been released in these areas have anything to do with it?
First of all, this sexually-transmitted virus has been around for approximately 70 years, and is actually marketed by two companies, but before we get to that, let’s find out who owns the patent on the virus. It’s the Rockefeller Foundation.
Post to me or FReep mail to be on/off the Bring Out Your Dead ping list.
The purpose of the “Bring Out Your Dead” ping list (formerly the “Ebola” ping list) is very early warning of emerging pandemics, as such it has a high false positive rate.
So far the false positive rate is 100%.
At some point we may well have a high mortality pandemic, and likely as not the “Bring Out Your Dead” threads will miss the beginning entirely.
*sigh* Such is life, and death...
Florida officials report 1st discovery of Zika-positive mosquitoes in Miami Beach surveillance testing
http://www.breakingnews.com/item/2016/09/01/florida-officials-report-1st-discovery-of/