could we be on the way to a cure for zika? scientists in the united states have identifiedmedical compounds that could be used to treat the so far incurable virus, which is believedto cause brain deformities in newborn babies. oh soo-young reports. researchers at the national center for advancingtranslational sciences say they've identified two groups of drugs that could effectivelycounter the mosquito-borne zika virus. one of them stops the virus from replicatingand the other stops the virus from killing fetal brain cells. they identified three drugs: an investigationalcompound with antiviral properties;... a chemical
called emricasan, which has shown neuroprotectiveeffects; and niclosamide, which is already being used as an antiviral agent against parasiticinfections. using robot screening, the team examined 6-thousandcompounds that are already approved for human use or undergoing clinical trial, hoping thiswould help get the treatments to infected people more quickly. the zika virus has been linked to seriousbirth defects in babies, including an abnormally small head resulting from brain deformities. it's primarily transmitted through bites fromaedes aegypti mosquitoes and can also be spread through childbirth and sexual contact.
the word health organization says there arecurrently no vaccines or drug treatments effective against the virus which has been reportedin 60 countries so far. recently, there have been a growing numberof zika cases in southeast asia including cambodia, malaysia and the philippines. the tropical environment in the region providesa breeding ground for mosquitoes. singapore reported on sunday 41 new casesof zika, all of them infected locally. thailand has the largest number of patientsin the region. in the first half of this year, thailand sawclose to 100 zika cases, when it usually sees just 2 to 5 in a whole year.
oh soo-young, arirang news.
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