Zika Buzz
Emory hosts global conference
American and Brazilian scientists and public health leaders who gathered at the Emory Conference Center in May agreed that while much work remains to understand and combat Zika virus disease, global collaboration has surpassed that of many other infectious disease outbreaks.
The international Zika virus conference was organized by the Global Virus Network and Raymond Schinazi, director of Emory’s Laboratory of Molecular Pharmacology.
Scientists agreed that the three main areas of research and strategy include mosquito control, geographic reach of the disease, and modes of transmission; development of therapeutics and vaccines; and prevention of microcephaly and other birth defects.
The development of antibodies that are active against Zika virus infection could likely be available more quickly than vaccines, and researchers are working to repurpose drugs that have been effective against similar infectious diseases and to develop new drugs to treat Zika virus infection.
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