Kansas State University contributes to potential Zika virus vaccine development

A research team that includes scientists with Kansas State University’s Biosecurity Research Institute has developed a promising Zika virus vaccine. The vaccine, a DNA vaccine, is safer and more effective against Zika virus and could offer more affordable long-term protection, researchers said. “This vaccine is a successful advancement in developing control strategies for Zika virus by creating widespread immunity in susceptible populations,” said Stephen Higgs, director of the Biosecurity Research Institute. “One shot of DNA vaccine will offer protection for years at a much lower cost, which is especially beneficial for endemic countries in Latin America and Africa.” Higgs is a co-author of the vaccine study, “Rapid development of a DNA vaccine for Zika virus,” that appears in the journal Science. Researchers with the National Institutes of Health led the study, which also involves researchers at the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Harvard Medical School, Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research, Bioqual and...