Medical breakthrough: Brazilian scientists design Zika detecting test

Brazilian researchers have developed a molecular test that allows the presence of the Zika virus to be detected in a patient in just five hours, the media reported on Thursday

FP Archives|Feb 11, 2016, 09:43:08 IST

Brasilia: Brazilian researchers have developed a molecular test that allows the presence of the Zika virus to be detected in a patient in just five hours, the media reported on Thursday.[caption id="attachment_2608528" align="alignleft" width="380"]

The Zika virus under a microscope. AP[/caption]The University of Unicamp said the exam allows the Zika virus to be detected in blood, saliva and urine samples, Xinhua news agency reported.This research was led by experts from Unicamp, along with others from the University of Sao Paulo (USP) and the Sao Paulo State University (Unesp).Starting next Monday, the exam results will be used to test samples from suspected Zika patients from the Campinas Clinical Hospital in the state of Sao Paulo.Samples showing Zika positive will be sent to Brazilian laboratories studying the disease, so that the virus may be isolated and used in attempts to decode its genetic sequence. This will hopefully lead investigators on new paths to fight the disease.The new test is likely to replace the two current ones used to diagnose Zika, which take several days.Currently, Brazilian health authorities need up to five days to detect Zika in blood samples and up to eight days to do so in urine samples.IANS

Indian trucker arrested in US over alleged theft of $3 million worth of tungsten powder

A 39-year-old Indian national living illegally in the US has been arrested in California after authorities alleged he stole a truck carrying nearly $3 million worth of hazardous tungsten powder.

1 min read

Austria turns Hitler’s birthplace into a police station 81 years after his death: 5 things to know

Austrian authorities inaugurated a police station at the birthplace of Adolf Hitler after years of debate around the site’s troubled legacy.

3 min read

Nawaz Sharif wants to become prime minister of PoK — but laws framed by Pakistan disqualify him

Former Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has said that he would ask his brother, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, to appoint him as the Prime Minister of Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir (POJK). But the Constitution bars him from making such a move.

2 min read

Fake jobs, tourist visas: Inside Russia’s vast network luring foreigners to fight Ukraine war

Russia is accused of using fake job offers, tourist visas and lucrative military contracts to recruit thousands of foreign nationals for the Ukraine war. Investigations reveal how poverty, deception and coercion have drawn people from Asia, Africa and Latin America into one of the world's deadliest conflicts

8 min read

As Pakistan eyes American dollar for Iran mediation, economists sound the alarm: ‘It can buy time, not growth’

Pakistan is reportedly seeking billions in US support after claiming a role in easing US-Iran tensions, but economists warn fresh funding would offer only temporary relief without deep structural economic reforms.