Google Engineers Are Trying To Help Fight the Zika Virus Outbreak

"A volunteer team of Google engineers, designers, and data scientists is helping UNICEF build a platform to process data from different sources (i.e., weather and travel patterns) in order to visualize potential outbreaks. Ultimately, the goal of this open source platform is to identify the risk of Zika transmission for different regions and help UNICEF, governments and NGO’s decide how and where to focus their time and resources. This set of tools is being prototyped for the Zika response, but will also be applicable to future emergencies..."

http://fortune.com/2016/03/03/google-zika-data/

Dear Respected Ljubomir

Many thanks for such an enriching information.

regards

My company is working with a natural product that could help this problem and may help with the infected people as well.  We are making a product that kills versus and can be used as a soap or bug spray to keep the bugs off you and or to kill them.  It is non toxic and safe for the environment.  We use it currently in agriculture for plant health and to make them grow stronger but the side affects are the anti viral and bug killing properties that it has. 

There are lots of way to deal with this issue but the fact of the matter is that the poorest countries are hit the hardest and that then spreads over to the rest of the world. 

This type of problem will continue to spread until we find a way to stop the but and its ability to carry the virus.  If my research is correct then I have a way to help while helping the poorest of counties grow more food. 

Thank you for opening this interesting discussion, Kuldeep...it always surprises me how every two  or three years major viral or  major health outbreaks grips the global landscape. Health challenges traverse  beyond boundaries and so should the efforts to mitigate the impacts 

Dear George

Thanks, when is such natural product expected to be in market and had it been tested enough with necessary validations / clinical trials and could it meet the demand of any big emergency if appears.  

Dear Nidhi

Many infectious pathogens especially viruses (in particular RNA viruses) keep changing their virulence and even can jump species barrier at times. Several factors add fire to such instances taking place - global warming, increasing population, rapid transport and also lack of research and tracking facilities in poor countries. Race between such deadly pathogens and humanity will always be there, hopefully researchers would be able to counter such emergencies arising from time to time with all and many high advances in science & technology.

Dear Nidhi,

You are right. pathogens are evolving very fast.. interestingly, some pathogens causing a pandemic in an appropriate interval.. the best example is influenza pandemics -  1918 ("Spanish flu"); 1968 (Hong Kong flu) 2009; ("swine flu"). But, most of the recent emergent pathogens are mosquito-borne and is really a global concern.Thanks

Dear George, it is good to know that your firm is involved in natural products. The natural remedy will be the number 1 choice for pathogen control. However, soap or spray may not be the effective way for controlling the mosquito-borne diseases such as dengue, yellow fever or Zika. We have to think about some other alternative such as effective cotrol of mosquitoes. Thanks

Dear Rama, I think George company is launching some therapeutic herbal products, though much these can be effective will be based on potency in treating viral diseases when one is infected. Herbal sprays or body lotions to prevent mosquito bites could be some solution, but always it cannot be followed practically. Effective vaccines and controlling mosquitoes will be and finally needed.     

Zika Virus kills cells that form key brain tissues---Report fro The Hindu Newspaper 5-3-2016

Can Big Data Help Fight The Zika Virus?

"To tackle a virus like Zika, a rich and varied source of data from clinical trials, surveillance activities and provider networks could be used to more accurately predict developments. Lessons learned during the Ebola outbreak, which peaked in 2014, indicate that the infrastructure for putting analytics-derived insights to work in the field of viral outbreaks is currently not yet in place, particularly in the developing world...

From a technological standpoint, we already have everything we need to leverage big data to quickly and effectively develop vaccines for new viruses such as Zika. Ebola showed us that every aspect of a virus’s behavior and characteristics can be isolated and identified.

Now what we need are platforms and systems to get this data into the hands of those who can develop solutions before a public health emergency develops."

https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/can-big-data-help-fight-zika-virus-aldo-agostinelli?trkInfo=VSRPsearchId%3A577811291457176222692%2CVSRPtargetId%3A6111534060436283392%2CVSRPcmpt%3Aprimary&trk=vsrp_influencer_content_res_name

Zika virus looks to be evolving. Information from past literature shows mainly phylogeny constructed using either Envelop or  NS5 genes. As more ZIKV complete genomes are becoming available for analysis, evolutionary analysis needs to derived based on phylogeny full length genome. Emphasis should be on evaluating strains of ZIKV from Aedes, Monkeys and Humans. More lineages (other than African and Asian) are appearing.       

Yes Dear Brenda, detailed epidemiological investigations are required for confirming whether or not the ZIKV cause microcephaly. 

Basic research to understand molecular pathology and how virus entry takes place is very crucial to develop new therapeutics. 

Two research group at John Hopkins and Florida State University (Tallahassee) have recently reported in Cell Stem Cell that when virus was applied to human cortical neural progenitor cells, 85% of the cells in the culture dishes were infected. This is first direct evidence of possible cause of Microcephaly and related congenital defects.

I am doing some research with an anti viral that may help.  I think in cases where the people are infected the anti viral could be used to stop the virus before it creates a problem in the unborn fetus.  I have not done human study but the anti viral we make is non toxic and made from plants.  It has been used in humans but not in study settings yet.  

I worry that the spread of Zika could affect young people that would then in turn affect the fetus in the future.  This could be devastating to the human population.  

 Zika is most commonly spread by mosquitoes but several countries have reported cases of sexual transmission.Today WHO Director General Dr Margaret Chan said "reports and investigations in several countries strongly suggest that sexual transmission of the virus is more common than previously assumed". It will be interesting to understand the presence of ZIKV in seminal plasma.

Priority Actions in the Zika Virus Response!

"In this paper, Physicians for Human Rights (PHR) lays out what an appropriate response to the spread of the Zika virus must include in order to be compliant with human rights obligations.

The emergence of the Zika virus, with its suspected risk of causing microcephaly in infants, is highlighting how public health policies related to sexual and reproductive rights are being hijacked by politicians who ignore well-established public health principles and human rights norms.

Even as scientists race to understand the link between the Zika virus and microcephaly, some governments are calling on women at risk to delay pregnancy. But these calls are laughable in countries where women are denied access to the information and means to make informed decisions about their reproductive choices – as a matter of government policy. Too often, governments adopt policies that limit access to contraception and disempower women and girls. And these violations of women’s sexual and reproductive rights are exacerbated by the failure of governments to address sexual and gender-based violence – a scourge which also strips women and girls of control over their sexual and reproductive choices..."

- See more at: http://physiciansforhumanrights.org/library/other/priority-actions-in-the-zika-virus-response.html?gclid=Cj0KEQiAsP-2BRCFl4Lb2NTJttEBEiQAmj2tbc_r7SjMqL0qnnMl7zPC4TDqWaWibsgmhU0DMlT9W-MaAtfP8P8HAQ?referrer=https://www.google.rs/#sthash.qQLBqZSO.dpuf

https://s3.amazonaws.com/PHR_other/priority-actions-in-the-zika-virus-response.pdf

Good information dear Mr Ljubomir, it can't be reinforced - rather be radical and preventive by all other means and awareness

Bichemist to look at it from molecular level, microbiologist and chemist will help pls

Few good reads in Pubmed now - recent papers, 

• http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/?term=zika+virus

Zika Virus: A New Epidemic on Our Doorstep.

Zika virus: high infectious viral load in semen, a new sexually transmitted pathogen?

Zika virus and Guillain-Barré syndrome: another viral cause to add to the list.

Zika virus may be linked to several birth defects, expert warns.

Few news About.

Tkx

What is the reason behind huge outbreak of zika virus this year? why not for last 70 years? these outbreak really due to zika virus or simply virus detected in this cases? Any environmental factors related to this outbreak? flaviviruses mostly infect animals at  least serological evidence or mosquito infective dose need to understand the disease for last 10 years. 

There are lots of factors but I think there are always going to be new out breaks and as long as any virus has a very short life and a large reproduction with the ability to mutate and adapt there will be more and more of these things happen as time goes on.  We must be ready to move at the same speed as the viruses ability to adapt. 

With as many humans as there are on the planet is is only a matter of time before more and more of these "bugs" will find us as hosts.

Recent research is being focused  to target effective candidate for developing a suitable vaccine to counter Zika virus as well as developing newer diagnostics, studying pathology and pathogenesis of this virus and controlling its spread by checking mosquitoes with multiple prevention and control strategies.  

Excellent team work! I am proposing to probe Zika's interaction with Adipose tissue derived stem cells (programmed for nervous tissue regeneration) and this will provide a good model for Microcephaly in human..

Several gaps needs to be bridged soon to counter act this emerging problem of Zika. Though serological evidence has been found in some animal species (though it cannot be exactly elucidated as  flavivirus cross reacts serologically) still research has to be streamlined to know its full epidemiology, reservoir so that treatment, prevention and control can be mapped out

Another possibility is by using stem cells that were isolated from the human dental pulp (hDPSCs) towards functionally active neuronal cells in vitro. This way we may understand molecular mechanism of Zika related microcephaly

PAHO answers questions about mosquito control for Zika Virus!

"What do people need to know about the mosquito that carries Zika?

The main species of mosquito that transmits the Zika virus is called the Aedes aegypti mosquito. By understanding more about how this particular mosquito behaves, we can understand better how to combat it. We have known for a long time that the Aedes mosquito is the vector for dengue, yellow fever and chikungunya but we now know that it is also responsible for transmitting Zika virus..."

Some more good reading and resources are attached.

https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/paho-answers-questions-mosquito-control-zika-virus-daniel-epstein?trkInfo=VSRPsearchId%3A577811291460213300424%2CVSRPtargetId%3A8455693220055896907%2CVSRPcmpt%3Aprimary&trk=vsrp_influencer_content_res_name

https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/mosquito-control-aifa-environmental-services-safe-aifa-services?trkInfo=VSRPsearchId%3A577811291460213300424%2CVSRPtargetId%3A7683144874288390349%2CVSRPcmpt%3Aprimary&trk=vsrp_influencer_content_res_name

https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/struggle-control-spread-zika-virus-alison-burrell?trkInfo=VSRPsearchId%3A577811291460213300424%2CVSRPtargetId%3A7258919285752488407%2CVSRPcmpt%3Aprimary&trk=vsrp_influencer_content_res_name

Mosquitoes and their breeding sites pose a significant risk factor for Zika virus infection. Prevention and control relies on reducing mosquitoes through source reduction (removal and modification of breeding sites) and reducing contact between mosquitoes and people (WHO). Genetic cues from male Aedes aegypti mosquitoes passed on during sex affect which genes are turned on or off in a females' reproductive tract post-mating, including genes related to blood feeding, egg development and immune defense, according to new research.The researchers believe such processes provide information that could be exploited to fight mosquito-borne diseases, such as dengue fever, chikungunya and Zika virus......

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2016/03/160311133219.htm

Thanks Dear Ramees, controlling mosquitoes with a holistic approach and multiple modes and means will also help in countering many other deadly pathogens / diseases apart from Zika virus, such missions needs public awareness as well as participation to check mosquitoes dwellings and limiting their population,

Pl read:  Scientists reveal Zika virus structure

http://theknicksnation.com/medical/scientists-reveal-zika-virus-structure/303798

A team led by Purdue University researchers this week became the first to determine the structure of the Zika virus, providing insights critical to the development of antiviral treatments and vaccines.

Devika Sirohi from India is also in this esteem team of researchers.

Dear @Kuldeep, please do find attached RF blog on ZIKA virus.

As researchers learn more about the Zika virus every day, recommendations for healthcare providers must be constantly adapted.

"Although research is unfolding, much is still unknown about the Zika virus and complications it causes. Without established best practices, medical professionals turn to government agencies like the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) for guidance on how to treat and advise their patients. Sonja Rasmussen is Editor-in-Chief of the Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR), the CDC’s primary publishing platform for public health recommendations, and contributes to the agency’s Zika response as a member of its Pregnancy and Birth Defects Task Force. We asked her how she and her colleagues arrive at the recommendations they issue in this environment of medical uncertainty..."

https://www.researchgate.net/blog/post/how-the-cdc-issues-zika-medical-guidelines

Overview of Emerging Zika Research!

A comprehensive collection of publicly available scientific papers, expert interviews, and researcher discussions.

"The World Health Organization has declared the rapid spread of Zika virus a public health emergency, one that is exacerbated by a lack of information about how the virus affects the human body. Unlocking these unknowns to develop treatments, prevent infections, and slow Zika’s spread requires global collaboration, and researchers worldwide are producing results to share and build on. We’ve compiled the growing body of research on Zika virus here, along with expert interviews about studies in progress. This page will be updated regularly with the latest publications, data, and researcher discussions."

https://www.researchgate.net/blog/post/overview-of-emerging-zika-research

https://topics.researchgate.net/zika/

Dear Respected Ljubomir Jacić

Thanks very much for sharing good links and information on Zika virus.

1) First, scientists need to be serious about tracking Zika

The CDC has said that future Zika outbreaks in the United States are likely to be caused by infected travelers returning home with the virus from elsewhere. But until now, there's been no way of knowing for sure who those infected people might be.

That's because Zika was only just officially labeled a "nationally notifiable disease" — a designation the CDC gives to serious diseases (like malaria or Ebola). This step should allow better tracking and surveillance in the future, helping public health officials coordinate their responses and have a more precise sense of where people with Zika are living and where local outbreaks are likely to happen. 

This is only a start. Health professionals need to consider Zika in patients who have traveled in South and Central America and the Caribbean, and have symptoms of the disease. They need to report suspected cases to their local public health agencies. Doing this won't be easy. There are no commercially available tests for Zika, so all testing right now is done through state and federal labs. And the virus can look very similar to other diseases that are currently circulating in the south.

"Based on the typical clinical features, the differential diagnosis for Zika virus infection is broad," the CDC warns. "In addition to dengue, other considerations include leptospirosis, malaria, rickettsia, group A streptococcus, rubella, measles, and parvovirus, enterovirus, adenovirus, and alphavirus infections (e.g., Chikungunya, Mayaro, Ross River, Barmah Forest, O’nyong-nyong, and Sindbis viruses)."

For now, the CDC has issued information on diagnosis and testing for health providers, as well as interim guidance on looking for congenital Zika virus infection and how to care for pregnant women in an outbreak.

2) Next, public need to be educated about Zika and mosquitoes.

3) Mosquito control programs should be taken up now.

4) Pregnant women should avoid traveling to places where the virus is circulating.

5) Research efforts are needed to be stepped up on Zika — and o also work on a vaccine.

Dear All, Certainly the efforts and scientific alert to combat ZIKA is of particular interest but as simple scientist I have few questions: 1) Which form of ZIKA are we looking for – the one that is linked to modified mosquitos or the one that was initially identified – the exotic one 1952? 2) Do we know which form is linked to diseases or only one ZIKA virus exists? 3) Are environmental conditions critical for the virus causing diseases? 4) Do we know what is the cause of diseases and ZIKA is carried exclusively by mosquitos and/or humans and other mammals or insects?

Finally, I feel to say that viral threats are like the terrorists ones that we are facing these last times. Terrorism is the cause of an absence of democracy. Virus causing diseases is a lack of information and competence and coordination.  In addition, “diseases” have become a very profitable market and this is not in reality the interest of science and the society. To my knowledge very few antiviral drugs exist and if, Penicillin was not discovered in 1928 by Scottish scientist Alexander Fleming, I think we should face very serious health problems – which we risk to face in the coming decade.

Even though the magic word is Vaccine, we are far to develop such one as we do not know yet the cause of the disease and most important we cannot create a human population which will be multi-vaccinated – we risk other genetic and evolutionary concerns in human physiology.

So, these efforts are welcome but I think we run behind the shadow of a virus – tomorrow will be another one and we have for the moment an antibacterial drug that works. Vassilis

Dear All

Just see following interested / very recent articles in Pubmed:

Search and one will find: Zika virus everywhere. Higgs & Vanlandingham

Zika Virus: More Questions Than Answers. Maestre et al.

Zika virus as new emerging global health threat for pregnancy and child birth. Nourollahpour et al.

Zika virus: what do we know ? Musso et al.

In 3-4 months of 2016 - nearly 400 papers on Zika came in Pubmed (out of a total of 460 in 70 years)

Hello all, I wish to answer for my dissertation unanswered highly needed questions in reference to the Zika Virus that will entail Biomedical Informatics connected to much needed field work.  If you have any suggestions please feel to email me, thanks and Best:)  Joel

Dear Joel,

Have you read our paper (recently accepted for publication) on Zika virus and microcephaly? You may get some alternative ideas for your thesis.

best wishes, 

Refik

Working Paper The Zika Virus and Microcephaly

Hi and thank you for your prompt reply.

Are there any unanswered questions in your paper that I may research referencing Biomedical Informatics connected to field/patient work?  (So that I will know what to peruse in your paper.)

Best,

Joel

Dear Joel

By Immunomics, try to study concepts /dynamics of immunobiology of zika virus, - antigens presented to T or B cell, designing diagnostics, vaccines / therapeutics -- identify immune stimulating epitopes (defined by comparing genome sequences) of its antigen via microarrays, Lymphochip, T- and B- cell epitope mapping, flow cytometry, ELISPOT, deeper sequence mining. Computational biology, bioinformatics combined with immunology. It is a very novel field of research.

regards

Kuldeep

Dear Joel,

It is a new field and as far as I know there are only a handful of case studies including a single or a few patients. I am sure there are some larger studies in progress but it may take a little while before they are published. These case studies are referenced in our paper. Soon I will put up at RG the revised and updated version of the paper. Alternatively its online version will appear in the Modern Research in Inflammation site early next week.

best wishes, Refik

Hi Refik and thank you for the detailed explanation.

Best,

Joel

Dear Joel  now ours comprehensive review on Zika virus is going to be published soon in Vet Quarterly journal within 2-3 weeks.

Zika Virus – Emergence, evolution, pathology, diagnosis and control: current global scenario and future perspectives – A comprehensive review

It will give a good insight into this virus and on its various aspects.

regards, Kuldeep 

Dear Colleagues, now our group is working on finalizing a very comprehensive review on Ebola virus, most of and all the aspects are being covered up in details, hopefully this will give a deep insight on Ebola virus, disease it causes, detailed epidemiology, pathology, and recent advances in diagnosis and control along with its high public health concerns.

Great team work !!

Thanks Dear Sunil, hopefully like our review on Zika virus -- ours Ebola review will also be the first comprehensive with excellent updates, my sincere thanks to all team members.

http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/01652176.2016.1188333 - this link will be active on 10th May 2016

I am working on an all natural pesticide that has not toxic side affects that will kill the mosquito and the virus.  We have been developing this product for almost a decade now and my research has shown that it can kill the insects and the virus without harmful side affects.

Email: [email protected]

The chemistry that we have been developing for the last 6 years is all natural products and plant esters.  We realized its ability to work on virus, molds, bacteria, and insects.  We are currently using this product in Central America on Banana trees.  The product is safe for human contact and is really just a very specifically built soap that does much more than just clean.

It has been shown in the lab to be effective at concentrations down to 1 to 500 with water that is clean.  It has also been used to clean water.

It is not on the open market yet but for research we are working with researchers.      

Accepted Author Version

Available at:  http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/01652176.2016.1188333

Zika Virus – Emergence, evolution, pathology, diagnosis and control: current global scenario and future perspectives – A comprehensive review

DOI:10.1080/01652176.2016.1188333

·         Accepted author version posted online: 09 May 2016

This Zika Review is now among "Most Read Articles" in Vet Quarterly journal -- http://www.tandfonline.com/action/showMostReadArticles?journalCode=tveq20

A portable, low-cost test for Zika virus may soon be available to doctors!

The test successfully detects the virus in monkeys, and researchers are now looking towards product development for distribution to local clinics...

Dear @Kuldeep, @Ruchi..., congratulation for your new paper on Zika!

https://www.researchgate.net/blog/post/a-portable-low-cost-test-for-zika-virus-may-soon-be-available-to-doctors

 Many thanks Dear Respected Ljubomir Jacić, for good update on Zika virus portable diagnostic as well as your good words.

regards, Kuldeep 

Dear Dahm,

you may woul like to check this work on Zika:

https://f1000research.com/articles/7-1624

The first study to deliberately infect people with Zika virus suggests that this strategy could help to test vaccines using as few as 50 trial participants. The virus, which usually causes only mild symptoms, can lead to severe birth abnormalities in babies born to parents infected during pregnancy. At present, the prevalence of Zika virus is low, which has halted the progress of clinical trials. Scientists worry that the virus might make a comeback before a vaccine can be developed...

https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-023-03289-8

Three Colombian cities saw dengue rates drop by up to 97% after the largest-ever deployment of Wolbachia-infected mosquitoes. Epidemiologist Alex Perkins says these results are “encouraging” — although “a reduction in cases following the introduction of an intervention could be a simple coincidence”. The Wolbachia bacterium competes with viruses such as dengue and Zika, making the insects less likely to transmit the diseases. The mosquitoes also pass the bacteria on to their offspring...

https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-023-03346-2