Belgian researchers develop a vaccine against the "Zika virus"

Tests conducted by a Belgian research team showed that a new vaccine was able to kill the Zika virus.

The Zika virus spreads in 2015 and 2016 in Latin America and is transmitted by certain types of mosquitoes.It affects the growth of the fetal brain.It can result in a small head, called "spleen", mental problems and d & # 39; other serious health problems.

According to the study published in the journal "Nisher" scientists from KU Leuven Rega in Belgium, the use of vaccine against yellow fever in the development of a vaccine "Zika virus".

"The yellow fever virus is closely linked to the Zica virus and is transmitted by the mosquito itself," said Dr. Kay Dalmayer in a report released Thursday by the Belgian Institute. "We replaced some of the genetic information of the yellow fever vaccine with the code corresponding to the Zika virus."

"For vaccine engineering, we have used a new technique, previously developed in our laboratory, to produce the yeast vaccine instead of fertilized eggs." Another important benefit is that the vaccine remains stable even at high temperatures, remote and tropical subtropical areas ".

The Belgian Institute, in collaboration with Leigh University, tested the vaccine in experiments on pregnant mice before administering it to female mice. When these mice became pregnant, the Zica virus was injected in the placenta.

Dalmayer explains that the embryos evolved naturally and that the virus had no effect on the brain or other organs.

The research team plans to conduct new experiments on this vaccine for production, so that it can then be used to immunize the population quickly and effectively in the event of the subsequent appearance of Zica virus.