zika
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EPA approves 'good guy' mosquitoes to battle Zika
Soon, a startup called MosquitoMate will be releasing a plethora of mosquitoes across the US -- not to start a bug-pocalypse, but to prevent it. The US Environmental Protection Agency has just approved the use of the startup's mosquitoes as biopesticide against their Zika-, dengue- and other disease-carrying counterparts in 20 states and Washington DC. You see, MosquitoMate's insects carry a common bacterium called Wolbachia pipientis that infects a wide range of invertebrates. By releasing them into the wild, they can spread bacteria to the wild population of Aedes albopictus or Asian tiger mosquitoes.
FDA approves first Zika test for blood donations
While the Zika virus is primarily transmitted by mosquito bites, it could also be passed through blood transfusion. To ensure that nobody who needs transfusion in the US gets infected, the US Food and Drug Administration has approved the first test that can screen Zika in blood donations. The cobas Zika test can detect the virus' RNA in plasma taken from donated whole blood and blood components. It can't be used to diagnose infection, but it can keep the country's blood supply Zika-free.
Scientists could use Zika to fight brain cancer in the future
While Zika is known for causing birth defects like microcephaly and brain damage, it turns out the virus might also serve a very useful purpose -- fighting brain cancer. In a study published today in The Journal of Experimental Medicine, researchers show that Zika can actually take on a very hard to treat type of brain cancer.
Verily's answer to Fresno's mosquito woes is 20 million more
Last year, executives of Alphabet's life science arm, Verily, discussed a project aimed at controlling invasive mosquito populations, the results of which are now going into effect. To combat the mosquito species that carries viruses like Zika and dengue, the company will release a ton of bacteria-infected male mosquitoes in Fresno, California where they should drastically bring down numbers of wild mosquitoes.
Zika test needs just a drop of blood
At this point, the idea that you could use a drop of blood, taken from your finger, to test for disease is pretty played out. After all, a certain company has spent the last year or so burning up any remaining goodwill for the technology. Despite this, a Danish-Taiwanese company called BluSense Diagnostics claims that it has developed a tiny box that can test for both dengue fever and the Zika virus with a single drop of finger blood.
Google's 2016 was defined by 'Pokémon Go,' Olympics and Trump
Google's Year in Search summaries have a knack for capturing the cultural zeitgeist, and that's truer than ever in 2016. The company has published its top search trends for the year, and it clearly mirrors a tumultuous 12 months defined by the unexpected, the tragic and the rise of technology. Notably, the biggest global search trend was for Pokémon Go -- yes, the wildly popular mobile game did more to captivate the world's attention than political upheaval or sports triumphs. Apple's iPhone 7 was the runner up, followed by President-elect Donald Trump.
Florida voters conflicted over Zika-fighting mosquitoes
You can't just go and release genetically-modified mosquitoes into the environment without making sure people are okay with it -- regardless of how badly we need a way to eradicate the Zika virus. In Tuesday's election, 65 percent of Florida residents in the city of Key Haven voted against a ballot measure that'd sanction such a test, according to MIT Technology Review. Meanwhile, some 58 percent of voters in the county that Key Haven is a part of, Monroe County, voted in favor of the test. Now it's up to the Florida Keys Mosquito Control District Board of Commissioners (FKMCDBC) to make a decision.
Alphabet is working to squash the Zika virus, too
There are a few ways to kill off a pest: eliminate its food supply, or, make sure it can't effectively procreate. Since the pest in question for this post is mosquitos, the former solution isn't an option. So, Verily, the life-science division of Alphabet Inc., is addressing the Zika-carrier with a spin on the latter, according to MIT Technology Review.
Trapped Florida mosquitoes found to contain Zika virus
After several mosquitoes were trapped and examined in Florida, it was determined that they had been carrying the Zika virus.
Theranos' Zika test is under FDA scrutiny
That didn't take long. Theranos pulled the emergency request for its Zika-testing miniLab following an FDA inspection that revealed shortcomings with patient protocol, according to The Wall Street Journal. WSJ's sources say that while the blood-testing company had data showing that the testing methods worked, the evidence collected was done without "implementing a patient-safety protocol approved by an institutional review board." Meaning, the experiments didn't have the type of oversight necessary to ensure that they were performed in stringent, controlled ways that would consistently provide accurate results and wouldn't harm the test subjects. The company says that it "recognized" that some of its data was gleaned before the needed protocols were in place. Theranos plans to appeal the Food and Drug Administration's ruling, of course, and collect the extra information requested by the FDA before trying the certification process again. Same goes for when the company attempts certification for its Ebola test as well. The miniLab itself was a way to sidestep founder Elizabeth Holmes' two-year ban from owning or running a lab or her own, precisely because the device was made for outside use. All of this raises the question of how long Jennifer Lawrence will have to wait for a final script for Theranos: The Movie. Seriously, this saga just keeps getting better.
FDA recommends that all donated blood be tested for Zika
In light of the Zika virus rapidly spreading to other parts of the world, the Food and Drug Administration has changed up its recommendations for donated blood. Going forward, all blood donated in the United States should be screened for the Zika virus.
Zika virus' effects are broader than first thought
The Zika virus is primarily known to cause microcephaly (small heads) in the babies of infected mothers, but its effects may be wider-ranging than first thought. A Harvard-led study has conducted brain scans of 45 Brazilian babies from Zika-stricken mothers, and the data suggest that even those children born without conspicuous problems may suffer later on. Ultimately, Zika is disrupting brain development -- microcephaly is a frequent result of that, but there can also be issues around the cortex (which is crucial to coordination and memory) that show up first and may only materialize on the outside as the child grows. Moreover, Zika can damage nerves in such a way that it forces arms and hands to contract.
Volunteers needed to get infected with Zika for science
While the Zika virus spreads into the US and the CDC has advised pregnant women to avoid the area of another recent outbreak in Miami Beach, Florida, scientists continue to race toward prevention options. US researchers are now seeking volunteers to get infected with the Zika virus in order to test promising experimental vaccines that could be candidates for mass deployment.
FDA approves using genetically-modified mosquitos to fight Zika
The Zika virus and related illness outbreak has been top-of-mind as of late -- in the US, that's particularly true in parts of Florida where the virus has spread. It looks like there may be a rather unusual way of fighting further spread of the virus, however. Today, the FDA just finished an environmental assessment of a technique cooked up by biotech firm Oxitec. The FDA has given approval for Oxitec conduct a field trial in which it releases genetically modified mosquitos that should "suppress" the population of infected mosquitos.
CDC warns against visiting a Zika-hit Miami neighborhood
Reports of the first active Zika transmissions in the US are leading to some far-reaching precautions in Miami. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention are warning both pregnant women and their partners to steer clear of the city's Wynwood neighborhood (including The Shops at Midtown Miami) out of concern that they might be infected. The CDC is also asking future mothers to get Zika tests in their first or second trimesters if they've been in the area from June 15th onward, and to use condoms (or other barrier-based contraceptives) if they have sex.
Four people in Florida likely contracted Zika from US mosquitoes
Florida health officials warn there's a high likelihood that four cases of Zika in the state were transmitted by local mosquitoes carrying the disease, a first in the continental United States. The Florida Department of Health believes that active transmission of Zika, meaning direct mosquito-to-human infection, is occurring in a small area in Miami-Dade county, north of the downtown area (as shown above). Other Zika cases in the US have been the result of people traveling to regions where the disease is prevalent and then re-entering the country already infected.
Recommended Reading: When Facebook Live replaces 911
How Facebook Live is becoming the social 911 for people who can't trust the police Salvador Rodriguez, Inc. A Facebook Live stream captured the moments after Philando Castile was shot by police in Falcon Heights, Minnesota this week. During the video, Castile's girlfriend Diamond Reynolds explains that they were pulled over for a broken taillight. She says that he told officers that he was carrying a gun and had the required concealed carry permit. When Castile reached for his wallet, the police shot him. The incident made Facebook's livestreaming tool a social 911 at a time when tensions between law enforcement and the public are high.
Further Zika studies increase the chances of a vaccine
The hopes for a Zika vaccine are seemingly getting stronger by the day. To start, Harvard researchers have successfully tested two vaccine candidates in mice -- reportedly the first instance of such a treatment working in an animal. One of them relies on an inert version of the virus, while the other entails customized DNA sequences. The scientists will need to test their work on larger animals before it's declared safe, but it's promising to see two more potential safeguards on top of one discovered just days earlier.
Experimental Zika vaccine approved for human trials
The Food and Drug Administration approved an experimental Zika vaccine called GLS-5700 for a clinical trial in humans earlier today, the first such treatment to get an official nod from the agency. Initial trials will start with 40 healthy subjects getting dosed in the coming weeks, and if all goes without a hitch, preliminary results should be available later this year.
CDC outlines how it'll cope with Zika outbreaks
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has published how it plans to tackle the Zika virus in the event of a domestic outbreak. While there are already cases of the virus in the US, these were contracted overseas and brought back by unwitting travelers. The agency believes, however, that certain breeds of mosquitos could spread the condition across the US, should they come into contact with a carrier. The plan outlines five stages of action, starting by simply monitoring mosquito patterns and controlling their populations as well as preparing emergency response teams.
