Jakarta, CNBC Indonesia – A group of scientists warned that the Zika virus has mutated and given rise to a new variant. This can make the deadly virus transmit more quickly.
Citing reports BBC, this was conveyed by scientists from the La Jolla Institute of Immunology, United States (US) and published in the journal Cell Report. In their observations, they say Zika still poses a broad threat.
“Recent infection studies suggest the variant may prove effective in transmitting the virus, even in countries that have built up immunity from previous Zika outbreaks,” the team said.
This conclusion comes from an analysis in which researchers recreate what happens when Zika is passed between mosquitoes and humans. They used live cells and mice in this experiment.
When Zika passed through mosquito and mouse cells in the laboratory, tiny genetic changes were seen. This could mean Zika is relatively easy to mutate in a way that allows the virus to thrive and spread, even in animals that previously had immunity from infection.
The report’s lead researcher, Prof Sujan Shresta, said the variant he had discovered and studied had evolved to the point where protective immunity was no longer effective. He also said this could create a new explosion in the number of Zika infections.
“Unfortunately for us, if this variant becomes prevalent, we may have the same problem in real life,” he explained.
Zika is spread through the bite of an infected Aedes mosquito. These insects are found throughout the Americas as well as Asia.
While for most people Zika is a mild illness, with no long-term effects, the virus can have very dangerous consequences for the unborn baby.
If a mother catches the virus during pregnancy, it can harm the developing baby. Because this causes microcephaly (a very small head) and damaged brain tissue.
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