"Our findings suggest that the development of a ZIKV [Zika virus] vaccine for humans will likely be readily achievable," the scientists said on Tuesday.
Mice and humans are similar in their respective responses to Zika. In both species, the virus crosses the placenta barrier in pregnant females, severely limiting brain development in babies.
"Here we show that a single immunization of a plasmid DNA vaccine or a purified inactivated virus vaccine provides complete protection in susceptible mice against challenge with a ZIKV outbreak strain from northeast Brazil," the scientists explained.
The test vaccine afforded complete protection against Zika in mice, demonstrated by the absence of detectable virus in the vermin, the article noted.
A second article, also published in Nature on Tuesday, explained that scientists are attempting to avoid a repeat of their experience with the Ebola epidemic, in which human trials of a vaccine began just as the rate of the infection tapered off. As a result, scientists missed out on a chance to prove the vaccine effective.
