Viruses, Infections & Disease, features and articles | Educational Science

Jan 19, 2016

Some Pregnant Women in US Should Be Tested for Zika Virus: CDC

Some pregnant women who traveled to areas where Zika virus is spreading should be tested for the disease, health officials announced today. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said today (Jan. 19) that pregnant women should be tested for Zika virus if they have two or more symptoms of...

Jan 26, 2016

As Zika Virus Rises, Vaccine Development Gets Attention

With fears of Zika virus reaching new heights — women in some countries, for example, are being advised not to get pregnant for years — all eyes are turning toward prevention. And experts say that developing a vaccine will be one of the best ways to fight this virus. If...

Jan 28, 2016

Zika Virus FAQs: Top Questions Answered

As the mosquito-borne Zika virus continues to infect people in a relentless wave, there is a worldwide rush to learn more about the disease. Although Zika infections are usually mild, when they strike pregnant women, it is possible for the infections to lead to a condition called microcephaly in the...

Jan 29, 2016

Zika Prevention: Can Pregnant Women Safely Use Mosquito Repellants?

The possible connection between Zika virus and microcephaly, a potentially fatal condition in infants, is a serious concern for pregnant women and women trying to become pregnant. Women are being told to take all possible measures to prevent mosquito bites, including using some pretty heavy-duty insect repellants. But generally, pregnant...

Feb 2, 2016

Microcephaly Linked to Zika Virus Is a 'Public Health Emergency,' Officials Say

The recent, dramatic increase in babies in Brazil born with microcephaly — underdeveloped skulls and brains — that has been linked with the Zika virus constitutes a public health emergency of international concern, Dr. Margaret Chan, director-general of the World Health Organization, said today. Clusters of microcephaly and other neurological...

Feb 2, 2016

How Zika Virus Spreads: Chain of Events Explained

Zika virus is now spreading explosively in the Americas, World Health Organization (WHO) Director-General Dr. Margaret Chan said on Thursday (Jan. 28), and 3 million to 4 million people in the Americas could be infected by the virus this year alone, according to the latest WHO estimates. However, U.S. officials...

Feb 2, 2016

Sexually Transmitted Zika Case Confirmed in Texas

A person in Dallas appears to have spread the Zika virus to another person through sex, Texas health officials said today. Officials at Dallas County Health and Human Services (DCHHS) said that a person in the area was infected with the Zika virus after having sexual contact with another person...

Feb 2, 2016

Zika Prevention: The Buzz on Genetically Modified Mosquitoes

With Zika virus on the rise in parts of South and Central America, experts are seeking new ways to curb the spread of the potentially dangerous virus. The Zika virus can cause an infection with mild symptoms, but experts are concerned that infections in pregnant women may lead to a...

Feb 5, 2016

Zika Sexual Transmission in US Prompts Health Warning

After a person in Dallas was confirmed to have contracted the Zika virus through sex, U.S. health officials are warning men who travel to countries where Zika is spreading to take steps to prevent spreading the virus through sex. If a man has a pregnant partner, and has traveled to...

Feb 8, 2016

5 Things to Know About Zika Virus

The outbreak of the mosquito-borne Zika virus throughout parts of the Americas has raised international concern because of the virus's possible connection to a neurological birth defect called microcephaly. In response to the outbreak, two doctors writing today (Feb. 8) in the Canadian Medical Association Journal have compiled a concise...

Feb 9, 2016

Zika Vaccines Are in the Works, But Still Years Away

With Zika virus continuing to extend its reach across the Americas, and a growing body of evidence suggesting that the virus may be responsible for increases in cases of two neurological disorders, demands for a vaccine are urgent. Infections with Zika are usually mild. Officials' primary concerns about the virus...

Feb 11, 2016

Defeating Zika: The Big Questions Researchers Are Trying to Answer

At least a dozen research groups are now working on developing a Zika virus vaccine, according the World Health Organization (WHO). But scientists are also investigating many more questions about Zika, beyond how to fight it with vaccination. A licensed vaccine is likely years in the future, WHO representatives said....

Feb 12, 2016

Zika Virus in Semen Provides More Evidence of Sexual Spread

The case of a man in the United Kingdom who had Zika virus a few years ago provides even more evidence that the virus can be transmitted through sex, according to a new report. Researchers found the virus in the man's semen nearly nine weeks after he became ill, the...

Aug 17, 2016

Zika: What States Can Expect in the Coming Months

Despite the half-dozen people who have caught the Zika virus from mosquitoes in Florida, experts say that it's unlikely Zika will begin to spread locally in many other places in the U.S. That's because the mosquitoes that can carry Zika cannot breed in most parts of the U.S. during the...

Aug 24, 2016

In Babies, Zika Can Linger for Months, Brazilian Case Suggests

A baby in Brazil who became infected with Zika in the womb still had the virus in his body for months after he was born, according to a new report of the case. The baby's mother, who lived in São Paulo, showed symptoms of Zika when she was 26 weeks...