The Zika Virus Grew Deadlier With a Small Mutation, Study Suggests

dailymotion.com ^ | 9/29/17

[Tilted Irish Kilt]

"The Zika Virus Grew Deadlier With a Small Mutation, Study Suggests
The mutation, called S139N, first arose in an Asian strain of the Zika virus in 2013, just before a small outbreak in French Polynesia
— the first linked to an increase in babies born with microcephaly.

The researchers noted that strains of the virus without the S139N mutation caused some mice to develop mild microcephaly,
meaning that the mutation, which occurs on a protein involved in making the virus’s protective coating, is likely only a piece of the puzzle.
“That was a surprise to us, that it was just one mutation.”

[Tilted Irish Kilt]

The researchers first compared a strain of the Zika virus from an outbreak in 2010 in Cambodia with three strains from the recent Latin American outbreak.
Next, the researchers created a Zika virus with several of the seven mutations that have appeared since 2013
and found that it caused greater mortality in newborn mice than the Cambodian strain.
But the virus with the S139N mutation — in which only one nucleotide differs from the Cambodian version — killed more mice and caused more brain damage.
The study, by scientists in China, found that strains of Zika with the S139N mutation caused substantially more death and microcephaly in mice than other strains.
About 17 percent of mice infected with the Cambodian strain died, compared to 100 percent of mice infected with the Latin American strains.

(There is a video explanation at the news site )

[Tilted Irish Kilt]

Infectious Disease - Zika mutation

Possibility of a single mutation made Zika more destructive
The South American variety seems to be related genetically to a Cambodian strain
Conjecture that it may have been brought into Brazil accidentally via Polynesian soccer players
(Video explanation at the news source)

[lizma2]

Was standing in line waiting to vote last Nov. and eavesdropping on the women in front of me. One who looked like she had end stage cancer said she was recovering from Zika. Wasn’t listening before she mentioned it so I didn’t hear where she had been to catch it. She looked God awful.

It’s believed to have started in monkeys and apes in Uganda . One study done in Indonesia in the late 1970s showed that horses, cows, water buffaloes, goats, ducks, and bats could become infected with Zika, but there is no evidence that they develop disease or pose a risk for Zika virus transmission to humans....but that was in 1970’s (I suspect you know all this. Lol.)

This Zika victim looked like she be should home on her death bed. Really shook me up.

This sucker is mutating at a high rate. That’s badddd. Very.

[PA Engineer]

Thanks for the ping. BTTT.

[bitt]

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