Zika virus news, resources and funding for global health researchers

Zika virus is a mosquito-borne flavivirus transmitted primarily by Aedes species mosquitoes. Zika can be passed from a pregnant woman to her fetus. Infection during pregnancy can cause certain birth defects. There is no vaccine or medicine for Zika. Local mosquito-borne Zika virus transmission has been reported in the continental U.S. The CDC provides information on Zika for pregnant women, women trying to become pregnant, community health workers, policymakers and other key groups.

At NIH, the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) is working with its partners in government, academia, and the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries to better understand Zika virus, the disease it causes, and ways to combat it. Vaccinations have begun in a multi-site clinical trial testing an experimental Zika vaccine developed by NIAID scientists. The National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) at NIH is studying how Zika virus infection affects reproductive health, pregnancy, and the developing fetus. NIH is also funding many research projects to study Zika virus.

Fogarty has provided training for researchers in countries impacted by Zika, and has supported mathematical modeling to inform policymakers. While studying Chagas disease in Brazil, funding from the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) through Fogarty provided scientists with training in field epidemiology, neuroimaging techniques and other research skills, which they are now leveraging to study and combat Zika. Researchers supported in part by Fogarty had anticipated the international spread of Zika virus from Brazil due to the August 2016 summer Olympic Games.

Top News

• Dengue immunity may be protective against symptomatic Zika, study finds
  NIAID/NIH news, January 22, 2019

• Related publication: Prior dengue virus infection and risk of Zika: A pediatric cohort in Nicaragua [Open access]
  PLOS Medicine, January 22, 2019

• Gene variations linked to severity of Zika-related birth defects, small NIH study suggests
  NICHD/NIH news, September 17, 2018
• NIH begins clinical trial of live, attenuated Zika vaccine
  NIAID/NIH news, August 16, 2018
• Pregnancy loss occurs in 26 percent of Zika-infected monkeys
  NIAID/NIH news, July 2, 2018
• Tracing spread of Zika virus in the Americas
  Blog post by NIH Director Dr. Francis S. Collins, May 29, 2018
• Zika infection during pregnancy may disrupt fetal oxygen supply
  NICHD/NIH news, January 18, 2018
• Related publication: Zika virus infection in pregnant rhesus macaques causes placental dysfunction and immunopathology
  Nature Communications, January 17, 2018
• Zika remains a research and public health challenge, say NIAID scientists
  NIAID/NIH news, December 21, 2017
• Zika virus: A new threat emerges
  Supplement to The Journal of Infectious Diseases, December 15, 2017
• Gene-based Zika vaccine is safe and immunogenic in healthy adults
  NIAID/NIH news, December 4, 2017
• Trials show inactivated Zika virus vaccine is safe and immunogenic, results support further clinical development
  NIAID/NIH news, December 4, 2017
• Zika virus selectively infects and kills glioblastoma cells in mice
  NIAID/NIH news, September 5, 2017
• Experimental Zika virus vaccines restrict in utero virus transmission in mice
  NIAID/NIH media advisory, July 13, 2017
• NIH launches prospective study of Zika and HIV co-infection during pregnancy
  NICHD/NIH news, July 10, 2017
• Malaria drug protects fetal mice from Zika virus, NIH-funded study finds
  NICHD/NIH news, July 10, 2017
• Report: Pregnant Women and the Zika Virus Vaccine Research Agenda: Ethics Guidance on Priorities, Inclusion, and Evidence Generation
  Pregnancy Research Ethics for Vaccines, Epidemics and New Technologies (PREVENT) project, June 2017
• Zika vaccine trial site in Peru led by Fogarty trainee
  May / Jun 2017 Global Health Matters
• Fogarty-supported Chagas, dengue researchers redirect efforts to tackle Zika virus
  May / Jun 2017 Global Health Matters
• Study to examine effects of Zika infection in Guatemalan infants and children
  NIAID/NIH news, June 19, 2017
• Zika virus spread undetected for many months, NIH-supported study finds
  NIAID/NIH news, May 24, 2017
• Related publications co-authored by Fogarty's Dr. Andrew Rambaut
  Nature, May 24, 2017:
• Zika virus evolution and spread in the Americas
• Genomic epidemiology reveals multiple introductions of Zika virus into the United States
• Establishment and cryptic transmission of Zika virus in Brazil and the Americas
• Zika virus persists in the central nervous system and lymph nodes of Rhesus monkeys
  NIAID/NIH news, April 28, 2017
• New resource for healthcare professionals and patients: Zika Care Connect (ZCC)
  Developed and funded by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), hosted and maintained by the March of Dimes
• Phase 2 Zika vaccine trial begins in U.S., Central and South America
  NIAID/NIH news, March 31, 2017
• NIH begins study of vaccine to protect against mosquito-borne diseases
  NIAID/NIH news, February 21, 2017
• From TDR: Call for institutions and/or consultants to undertake landscape analysis on research gaps related to mosquito vectors of the Zika virus
  Deadline for applications: January 21, 2017
• Chagas disease studies inform Zika research in Brazil
  Nov / Dec 2016 Global Health Matters
• NIH gathers experts to discuss Zika and child development
  Nov / Dec 2016 Global Health Matters
• NIH workshop identifies complex health problems among Zika-affected infants: Scientists emphasize need for multidisciplinary care, treatment and research strategies
  NICHD/NIH news, February 20, 2017
• Related publication: Bridging knowledge gaps to understand how Zika virus exposure and infection affect child development
  JAMA Pediatrics, February 20, 2017
• Recorded webcast - Day 1
• Recorded webcast - Day 2
• About the workshop
• Testing of investigational inactivated Zika vaccine in humans begins
  NIAID/NIH news, November 7, 2016
• HHS makes progress on Zika, yellow fever vaccines
  Sep / Oct 2016 Global Health Matters
• HHS accelerates development of mRNA-based Zika vaccine
  HHS news, September 7, 2016
• Treating Zika infection: Repurposed drugs show promise
  Blog post by NIH Director Dr. Francis S. Collins, September 6, 2016
• NIH collaboration helps advance potential Zika treatments
  NCATS/NIH news, August 29, 2016
• Zika: mapping the emerging evidence - freely-accessible external scientific resources relevant to Zika virus from the WHO
• USAID announces initial results of Grand Challenge to Combat Zika
  USAID news, August 10, 2016
• NIH begins testing investigational Zika vaccine in humans
  NIAID/NIH, August 3, 2016
• NIH funds Zika virus study involving U.S. Olympic team:
  Researchers will monitor potential infections among group of U.S. athletes traveling to Brazil
  NICHD/NIH news, July 5, 2016
• Zika vaccines protect mice from infection
  NIH-funded research suggests human vaccine is possible
  NIAID/NIH news, June 28, 2016
• Related publication: Vaccine protection against Zika virus from Brazil
  Nature, June 28, 2016
• Related blog post: Zika vaccine: Two candidates show promise in mice
  Blog post by NIH Director Dr. Francis S. Collins, July 5, 2016
• NIH launches large [international] study of pregnant women in areas affected by Zika virus
  NIAID/NIH news, June 21, 2016
• Research needed to help treat children affected by Zika
  The Blog post, Huffington Post, by NICHD Director Dr. Catherine Y. Spong, June 21, 2016
• Zika in the United States of America and a fateful 1969 decision
  PLOS Neglected Tropical Diseases, May 26, 2016
• Microcephaly Risk After First Trimester Zika Infection as High as 13 percent:
  Zika and the Risk of Microcephaly
  The New England Journal of Medicine, May 25, 2016
• NIH-supported scientists have cloned the Zika virus:
  An Infectious cDNA Clone of Zika Virus to Study Viral Virulence, Mosquito Transmission, and Antiviral Inhibitors
  Cell Host and Microbe, May 16, 2016
• CDC reports urine testing for Zika might be more accurate than blood analysis:
  Comparison of Test Results for Zika Virus RNA in Urine, Serum, and Saliva Specimens from Persons with Travel-Associated Zika Virus Disease - Florida, 2016
  CDC Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR), May 13, 2016
• Zika ethics consultation: Ethics guidance on key issues raised by the outbreak
  PAHO, published May 2016
• Wolbachia blocks currently circulating Zika virus isolates in Brazilian Aedes aegypti mosquitoes
  Cell Host and Microbe, May 4, 2016
• Mapping global environmental suitability for Zika virus
  eLife, April 19, 2016
• USAID announces $30 million grand challenge to combat zika and future disease threats
  USAID news, April 13, 2016
• Scientists determine exact structure of Zika, findings could help lead to vaccine, cure, with NIAID support
  Science, March 31, 2016
• NIH-funded scientists develop mouse model for Zika:
  Journal article: Characterization of a Novel Murine Model to Study Zika Virus
  American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene, March 28, 2016 (online)
• Research funders [Medical Research Council UK, Wellcome Trust and Newton Fund, FAPESP] join forces to tackle Zika virus, including list of funded awards
  MRC news, March 21, 2016
• NIAID's Fauci urges continued global vigilance on Zika, other diseases
  Fogarty news, March 23, 2016
• Zika and birth defects: the evidence mounts
  Blog post by NIH Director Dr. Francis S. Collins, March 15, 2016
• Ebola, Zika modelers aim to inform policy decisions
  Mar / Apr 2016 Global Health Matters
• PAHO's Dr Marcos Espinal on global partnerships to fight Zika, Ebola and other diseases
  Mar / Apr 2016 Global Health Matters
• Commission considers how to improve global disease outbreak response
  Mar / Apr 2016 Global Health Matters
• Global scientific community commits to sharing data on Zika
  Wellcome Trust news, February 10, 2016
• Publication resources for researchers:
• Over 400 citations related to Zika available in PubMed
• Full text of many articles related to Zika available for free in PubMed
• Additional free literature from publishers
  courtesy of the Disaster Information Management Research Center at NLM/NIH
• National Science Foundation issues call for Zika virus proposals
  NSF news, February 10, 2016
• NPR on what NIH is doing to spur Zika virus research:
  Virus profilers race to figure out what makes Zika tick
  NPR Health News, February 9, 2016
• Preparing for and responding to the Zika virus at home and abroad [Archive]
  Archive of the White House Fact Sheet, February 8, 2016
• WHO announces Zika virus is a public health emergency of international concern
  WHO statement, February 1, 2016

NIH News and Resources

• Zika Virus - Digital Media Kit
  from the NIH Office of Communications and Public Liaison
• Zika virus information for researchers
  from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) at NIH

Other US Government Resources

• Zika virus news, information and resources from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
• Zika Data Repository on GitHub to encourage public sharing of Zika data
  from the CDC Epidemic Prediction Initiative

Other Online Resources

• Free portals from leading scientific publications:
• Zika virus from The American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene (AJTMH)
• Zika virus from The BMJ
• Zika and Global Health from JAMA, the Journal of the American Medical Association
• Zika virus resource center from The Lancet
• Zika virus information from The New England Journal of Medicine
• Special collection on Aedes Aegypti and Zika virus research from Oxford University Press
• Zika virus from Science
• Zika virus: free articles by discipline from Springer Nature
• World Health Organization (WHO) resources:
• Zika Open "online first" publications collection 
  Bulletin of the World Health Organization
• Microcephaly in north-east Brazil: a retrospective study on neonates born between 2012 and 2015
  Bulletin of the World Health Organization, November 2016
• WHO Zika virus fact sheet
• Zika virus information and resources
  from the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO)
• PAHO helps countries in the Americas prepare for spread of Zika
  PAHO news, January 16, 2016
• Zika Research - A database of published primary research studies and protocols on Zika from PAHO
• Zika information for authors and researchers from PAHO
• Ocular findings in infants with microcephaly associated with presumed Zika virus congenital infection in Salvador, Brazil
  JAMA Ophthalmology, February 9, 2016 (online)
• Zika Virus: The Challenge for Women
  Kaiser Family Foundation news, February 1, 2016
• Potential sexual transmission of Zika virus
  Emerging Infectious Diseases, February 2016

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