Researchers warn that a fresh Zika virus outbreak is very likely, with a single mutation capable of causing an explosive spread.
Thousands of newborns were born brain-damaged after their mothers became infected while pregnant, causing a global medical disaster in 2016.
According to scientists in the United States, the world should be on the alert for new mutations.
According to research published in the journal Cell Reports, the virus might easily change, resulting in new variations.
According to the team from the La Jolla Institute for Immunology, recent infection investigations suggest that those variants may be successful at transmitting the virus, even in nations that have built up immunity from prior Zika outbreaks.
Although theoretical, experts said the findings were intriguing – and a reminder that viruses other than Covid could pose a hazard.
A bite from infected Aedes mosquitoes spread Zika. The insects can be found all over the Americas and Asia, with the exception of Canada and Chile, where the temperatures are too low for them to survive.
While Zika is a mild infection with no long-term symptoms for most adults, it can have disastrous consequences for kids in the womb.
If a mother acquires the virus while pregnant, it can affect the unborn child, resulting in microcephaly (a small head) and brain tissue damage.
