Zika virus is a mosquito-borne virus transmitted by Aedes mosquitoes. The same mosquito also transmits 3 other vector-borne diseases --- dengue, chikungunya and yellow fever – across tropical and subtropical regions around the world. From May 2015, the disease spreads from the Americas to the whole world, which has been a global public health emergency. From then on, as countries are actively building the coping mechanism towards Zika virus based on science and technology, the virus strain has become a significant strategic resource. Professor Bo Zhang in WIV has isolated one Zika virus strain before, and more Zika virus strains, offering various selections for the relevant study, will definitely lay a solid foundation for the further research on the vaccine, pathogenesis and the treatment of Zika virus.
Recently, with the administrative approvals by the General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine of China and Hubei Entry-Exit Inspection and Quarantine Bureau, the Microorganisms and Viruses Culture Collection Center (VCCC), WIV, CAS has received successfully 2 Zika virus strains (strain H/PF/2013 and strain MRS_OPY_Martinique_PaRi_2015) from “European Virus Archive goes global” (EVAg). Therefore, WIV has 3 Zika virus strains, which will provide a basis for the relevant research in China.
The EVAg project is aimed at the largest global virus collection network. Now it includes an international group of 23 laboratories including 16 EU member state institutions and 7 non-EU institutions. As a core member under EVAg project, WIV is also entitled as one of the distribution centers of EVAg Zika virus strains in China. With meeting the national conditions and qualities to transfer the virus strains, institutions or universities can apply to receive the virus strains from VCCC for scientific research. Furthermore, our center could assist if you need to receive the Zika virus from EVAg project. Please search for details on the following website:
http://www.european-virus-archive.com/faqs/how-receive-evag-zika-strains-china-laboratories.
If you need other virus strains, please contact VCCC(http://www.virus.org.cn).
