Zika Virus to become a global disaster if mutation occurs

A minor mutation of the mosquito-borne Zika virus, according to new study, might make it far more infectious and harmful.

Microcephaly is a syndrome that inhibits a baby’s head growth, causing serious, sometimes fatal brain damage, and it can result in miscarriage or stillbirth in newborns born to infected pregnant mothers.

Although Zika only has a few symptoms and is rarely seen in adults, the consequences for infants can be devastating. Following an epidemic in 2015, the virus was linked to microcephaly in more than 30 countries; seven years later, the number has grown to 86 nations and territories, including the United States.

Sujan Shresta and her colleagues at the La Jolla Institute for Immunology in California sought to learn more about Zika.

According to the New Scientist, the scientists discovered that the identical mutant form of the Zika virus grew in both dengue-infected and uninfected mouse cells. Simply put, this region of the virus’s genome is a hotspot for mutations.

Researchers led by Shresta discovered that pregnant mice infected with the mutant virus have a much higher likelihood of their placenta being breached and their offspring becoming infected. Zika virus is more common in countries where dengue fever is also common, owing to the fact that both viruses are spread by flavivirus-carrying mosquitoes.