More than 60 countries and territories now have continuing transmission of Zika, which is carried by mosquitoes.
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In the Wall Street Journal, Ron Klain, former White House Ebola response coordinator, suggested that the lack of urgency on Zika may be because the disease is largely out of sight: “Zika is easily underestimated because symptoms are not obvious, and the most grave health outcome – birth defects in babies born to infected mothers – occur months in the future”. Those that do, however, only experience mild illness, which often lasts for about a week. Specifically, dengue, a flavivirus which also runs rampant in current Zika-stricken areas. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is researching the link between the two.
A Zika vaccine developed by the National Institute of Health is about to start clinical trials in humans, and the University of Maryland School of Medicine is one of just three sites in the United States tapped to evaluate the vaccine’s safety and effectiveness.
A Science research article published yesterday (Aug. 4) shows that scientists may be on the right path to beat the Zika virus.
The findings of the trial have shown an encouraging signs as the trials step ahead to be tested on humans.
In a second experiment, 12 rhesus monkeys were immunized with either a DNA vaccine or an adenovirus vector-based vaccine. A DNA vaccine is different from the usual variety, which uses weak or dead germs. Each version was tested in four monkeys, and another group of four monkeys received a placebo. Study participants will be asked to document their temperature as well as any symptoms, for one week after each vaccine shot.
The creator of the vaccine, Inovio Pharmaceuticals confirmed on Monday, August 1, that Zika vaccine testing in humans will begin soon. That’s the amount that the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases said is needed. Zika infections are typically asymptomatic.
The DNA contains no infectious material and can’t cause a Zika infection.
For the vaccine development, researchers killed the virus using chemicals, keeping the risk free proteins that the body can learn to identify as foreign invaders. “Therefore, clinical trials should proceed as quickly as possible”. “It is critical that we develop a vaccine against this disease, which has devastating consequences for the health of pregnant women and babies, and we are pleased to join this NIH clinical trial”. Each group will receive the same dose, however, they differ in interval in 20-week period. Each time a dose is administered, volunteers will be monitored by a doctor for at least 30 minutes.
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The study requires additional follow-up visits 18 months and two years after the initial vaccination “to assess the durability of the immune response”.
