The researchers created a detailed three-dimensional model of the Zika virus

Zika does not dominate the headlines as she did when she suddenly spread to the Americas in 2016.

But the virus is still a serious problem. If a pregnant woman is infected, the Zika virus can lead to the birth of babies with neurological lesions and microcephaly (a particularly small head and an underdeveloped brain).

The CDC continues to say that pregnant women, their partners and people who are planning a pregnancy should postpone their trip to vast areas of the Caribbean and Latin America.

Researchers are desperate for a way to fight the virus. This effort requires a better understanding of the structure of Zika, which would facilitate the design of vaccines or antiviral drugs.

Publicity

On Tuesday, a team of researchers published the highest resolution image ever created of the Zika virus:

To create the highly accurate three-dimensional model, researchers used electron microscopy to capture thousands of images of the atomic structure of the virus, all of which could be combined into a 3D image.

Since Zika is more stable than related viruses of the flavivirus family – such as dengue fever, yellow fever, and Japanese encephalitis virus – it has been possible to create a particularly accurate model.

This model reveals the parts of the atomic structure that might be vulnerable.

Publicity

"With the higher resolution, it is now possible to effectively design vaccines and design antiviral compounds that inhibit the virus," said Michael G. Rossmann, structuralist biologist at Purdue University and author of the new study .

Researchers still do not know if they will be able to design a vaccine against Zika. But this new model will help at least that job.