ProMASS News Bureau: Mar 23, 2016:
India is among five countries where projects are underway to develop vaccines to fight the Zika virus. The World Health Organization (WHO) says, at present, more than 30 companies are working on, or have developed, potential new diagnostic tests. WHO’s Director-General Margaret Chan said that in less than a year, the status of Zika has changed from a mild medical curiosity to a disease with severe public health implications.
Zika virus is posing severe public health implications and is linked to neonatal malformations and neurological disorders affecting newborns. The virus is currently circulating in 38 countries and territories. The WHO had in February declared the Zika virus outbreak as an international public health emergency. Experts have agreed that a reliable, point-of-care diagnostic test is the most urgent priority.
