Close X
Thursday, November 28, 2024
ADVT 
Health

Research begins into possibility of a vaccine for Zika virus

Darpan News Desk The Canadian Press, 27 Jan, 2016 12:21 PM
    WASHINGTON — The U.S. government is beginning research into a possible vaccine for the mosquito-borne Zika virus that is suspected of causing an unusual birth defect as it spreads in Latin America.
     
    Don't expect protection anytime soon — vaccine development typically takes years.
     
    "This is not going to be overnight," Dr. Anthony Fauci of the National Institutes of Health said in an interview Tuesday.
     
    But there are vaccines in various stages of development for other viruses in the same family — dengue, West Nile and chikungunya — that offer a pattern for creating something similar against Zika, said Fauci, who directs NIH's National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases.
     
    NIH researchers have begun some initial work, and the agency also plans to boost funding to some Brazilian scientists to accelerate Zika-related research, he said.
     
    President Barack Obama met Tuesday with his senior health advisers, including Fauci, Health and Human Services Secretary Sylvia Mathews Burwell and Centers for Disease Control Director Thomas Frieden. The White House said Obama urged them to accelerate research into diagnostic tests, vaccines and therapeutic drugs, and work to inform Americans about the Zika virus and ways to protect against infection.
     
    The Zika virus, first discovered decades ago in Africa, was long thought to be more of a nuisance illness, with symptoms generally much milder than its cousin dengue. But amid a large Zika outbreak in Brazil, researchers began reporting an increase in a rare birth defect named microcephaly — babies born with abnormally small heads. While scientists try to prove if Zika is the cause, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has advised pregnant women to reconsider travel to Brazil and 21 other countries and territories with outbreaks.
     
    If a Zika vaccine eventually were developed, it's not clear how widely it would be used.

    MORE Health ARTICLES

    Testosterone Pills Won't Improve Sex Life, Says Indian-american Researcher Shalender Bhasin

    Testosterone Pills Won't Improve Sex Life, Says Indian-american Researcher Shalender Bhasin
    Although taking testosterone supplements will not lead to the hardening of the arteries in older men but the pills will not guarantee an improved sexual function in them either, finds a study led by an Indian-American researcher.

    Testosterone Pills Won't Improve Sex Life, Says Indian-american Researcher Shalender Bhasin

    B.C. Study Finds Making Methadone Accessible Slashes HIV Transmission

    B.C. Study Finds Making Methadone Accessible Slashes HIV Transmission
    Increasing access to methadone treatment through primary-care doctors and pharmacies significantly cuts the spread of HIV, according to research involving Vancouver residents addicted to opioids.

    B.C. Study Finds Making Methadone Accessible Slashes HIV Transmission

    Rising Diabetes, Obesity Rates Putting Ethnic Groups' Heart Health At Risk: Study

    Rising Diabetes, Obesity Rates Putting Ethnic Groups' Heart Health At Risk: Study
    An Ontario study determined that from 2001 to 2012, diabetes rates more than doubled among South Asian men and almost doubled among black women.

    Rising Diabetes, Obesity Rates Putting Ethnic Groups' Heart Health At Risk: Study

    Gender Disparity Persists In Life Expectancy Of Canadians Living With HIV: Study

    Gender Disparity Persists In Life Expectancy Of Canadians Living With HIV: Study
    VANCOUVER — A new study has found that Canadians diagnosed with HIV are living longer than ever, but continued inequalities in life expectancy across the country have one researcher calling for a national HIV/AIDS strategy.

    Gender Disparity Persists In Life Expectancy Of Canadians Living With HIV: Study

    Eat Spicy Food Daily To Lower Death Risk

    Eat Spicy Food Daily To Lower Death Risk
    Include more fresh and dried chilli pepper in your diet as eating spicy foods daily has now been linked to a lower risk of death from cancer, heart and lung diseases and diabetes.

    Eat Spicy Food Daily To Lower Death Risk

    After Yoga, Climb A Tree To Boost Your Memory

    You may have attempted this during childhood but climbing a tree and balancing on a beam along with yoga exercises can dramatically improve cognitive skills in adults too, researchers at the University of North Florida have found.

    After Yoga, Climb A Tree To Boost Your Memory