Dear Dr. Sumodan,

So far there were no cases of Zika in Israel. But certainly we have mosquito vectors capable of transmitting this virus. The Ministry of Health issued a warning to avoid travelling to south America.

All the best

Yehuda

Thank you Dr. Braverman

Hi! Sumodan,

No idea about any institution but you get some useful information from the following links. Seems WHO is gathering some information.

Zika virus

http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/zika/en/

Zika virus disease: Questions and answers

http://www.who.int/features/qa/zika/en/

Microcephaly/Zika virus

http://www.who.int/emergencies/zika-virus/en/

Zika Virus: a public emergency of international concern

http://www.drugtargetreview.com/9857/content-type/drug-target-review-extra/zika-virus-a-public-emergency-of-international-concern/?utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=DTR%20-%20ZikaMail%20-%20Jan%2016&utm_content=DTR%20-%20ZikaMail%20-%20Jan%2016+CID_8b17ebc21dcc85e78c42e3b3f0bb603c&utm_source=Email%20marketing&utm_term=what%20is%20Zika%20and%20how%20does%20it%20affect%20the%20world

I just read this Article in the Newspaper today. Hope it is of some use.

Regards

Vibha

http://www.tribuneindia.com/news/nation/indian-firm-develops-world-s-first-zika-virus-vaccine/191767.html

Thank you Dr. Remadevi, Dr. Sharma for your inputs.

Hello Sumodan,

As far as  I know there is no Institute which is giving training combat Zika virus. Who  is giving brief fact about it. It is an old virus  which ha taken  new turns recently. The best method to control arboviruses is to control the virus,In South America it is related with El Nini and in the Indian sub-continent it is the Monsoon which environmental friendly to Aedes mosquitoes, particularly A. aegypti, A albopictus and other member of Stegomyia group.

Sorry the topic is diverted. 

As per my knowledge and work done in Iceland the genes that responsible for brain development are ASPM (abnormal spindle-like microcephaly associated) & Microcephalin (MCPH1). Mutations cause abnormal brain size. The same topic is given by one of the faculty In UCD to study 'Evolution during range expansions and climate change'. We can see vast literature too.

It is very interesting to read about the babies born with microcephaly during the outbreak of Zika virus. I believe it is under investigation and should be confirmed the link between Microcephaly and Zika virus.

ASPM (gene)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ASPM_(gene)

Microcephalin

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Microcephalin

ABNORMAL SPINDLE-LIKE, MICROCEPHALY-ASSOCIATED; ASPM

http://www.omim.org/entry/605481

At University of Sao Paulo, Brazil, we are not giving an official training, but we are working very hard with ZIKA virus in all aspects (around 40 specialized labs). Also you can contact Dakar Pasteur Institute. They came to Brazil to help us with some training on ZIKA.

Margareth

Thank you Margareth

some useful links reg. Zika virus.

Special issue of The Lancet

Zika virus resource centre

http://www.thelancet.com/campaigns/zika

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

http://www.cdc.gov/zika/

Sumodan contact Dr Alain Kohl and Dr Claire Donald, Glasgow University you may get some useful information. Good Luck.

Glasgow University leading the fight against the Zika Virus

http://www.gla.ac.uk/research/infocus/themes/zikavirus/

Thank you Ramadevi

Interesting responses to “Zika Virus: a public emergency of international concern” attached 

Very interesting

Centre for diseases control might be doing it

Hi! Sumodan,

If you are interested check the following link

http://www.drugtargetreview.com/10037/content-type/drug-target-review-extra/wanted-zika-virus-researchers/

"Wanted: Zika virus researchers 

What are the MRC looking for? The organisation seeks twelve to eighteen month proposals that will provide novel, critical and timely insights into the nature of the risk posed by the Zika virus and/or potential avenues for its management or prevention. The MRC says that robust evidence is needed for the risks associated with Zika transmission and infection and is obtained as soon as possible. 

The MRC says that the studies should build on existing relationships, either with researchers in affected countries and/or with relevant data/resource holders. Interdisciplinary proposals are welcomed, where appropriate. 

It adds that possible avenues of research to be funded by this initiative could include:........." 

Interesting post, Jetty, thank you for sharing this founding opportunity. 

Thank you Rama

Pictures Capture Daily Battle Against Zika Mosquitoes from NGG

http://news.nationalgeographic.com/2016/02/160225-zika-virus-brazil-mosquitoes-microcephaly-pictures/?utm_source=NatGeocom&utm_medium=Email&utm_content=pom_20160313&utm_campaign=Content&utm_rd=884431872

Thank you for sharing.

The US Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has concluded that Zika virus is a cause of microcephaly and other severe foetal brain defects.

http://www.drugtargetreview.com/11438/content-type/industry-news/cdc-zika-microcephaly/?utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=DTR%20-%20Newsletter%2015%202016&utm_content=DTR%20-%20Newsletter%2015%202016+CID_aaa3cc288d678c80fd520db9e52f4c2a&utm_source=Email%20marketing&utm_term=CDC%20concludes%20Zika%20causes%20microcephaly

Thank you Jetty. Where are you now?

Thanks so much Jetty Ramadevi

Hi! Sumodan,

I follow Friday's Elk by Carl Zimmer, today he posted some interesting on Zika 'Fighting Zika with the Most Amazing Microbe.

Have you ever heard of Wolbachia? If not, you have a wonderful surprise in store. It's arguably the most successful symbiont on Earth, a species of bacteria that lives inside several million species of invertebrates. And it thrives in those hosts with weird manipulations of their reproduction. I've written about Wolbachia a few times in the past (here for example), and this week in the New York Times I revisit it to explore an exciting possibility: that Wolbachia could block mosquito-borne diseases including Zika and dengue fever. Check it out.'

Check the links 

Bacteria-Infected Mosquitoes Could Slow Spread of Zika Virus

http://www.nytimes.com/2016/05/05/science/zika-virus-moquitoes-microbe.html?_r=0

Wolbachia: A Tale of Sex and Survival

Science, May 11, 200

http://carlzimmer.com/articles/2001.php?subaction=showfull&id=1177558753&archive=&start_from=&ucat=4&

Yes. I am aware of it. Thank you.

Interesting to watch

Could this soap stop malaria?

http://edition.cnn.com/2016/05/18/africa/faso-soap-malaria-bukrina-faso/index.html

It's just a little sting, so slight often the victim doesn't even feel it. But it's administered by the most dangerous animal in the world -- the female anopheles mosquito.

Mouse models show how Zika migrates into the placenta

http://www.drugtargetreview.com/11839/content-type/industry-news/washington-zika-placenta/?utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=DTR%20-%20Newsletter%2020%202016&utm_content=DTR%20-%20Newsletter%2020%202016+CID_ed890be635834ba7340a2f87674a7eec&utm_source=Email%20marketing&utm_term=Mouse%20models%20show%20how%20Zika%20migrates%20into%20the%20placenta

Thank you

Hi! Sumodan,

Here is the link for 'Latest Zika Research'

http://gms.sg/zika-research/?pk_campaign=EloqEmail&pk_keyword=CSM-ASY-LIF-FY17-0714-R2702-TestB-CTA01&elq_mid=11062&elq_cid=2872127

Thank you