Scientists make key finds on Zika virus

Scientists at the Duke-NUS Medical School have uncovered important findings in the structure of the Zika virus and its behaviour. The findings, published online in the journal Nature on Tuesday, could help pave the way towards developing treatments against it. While the structure of the virus is similar to other flaviviruses like dengue, the scientists found that Zika is more stable. Antibodies or drugs that destabilise the structure of the Zika virus may help to reduce the severity of the disease or limit the spread of the virus, said the medical school in a statement. The team imaged the Zika virus under a microscope from a large number of purified viral particles. By using thousands of images, they then reconstructed a high-resolution microscopy structure of it.