WHO is currently mapping existing R&D for Zika in order to prioritize medical products and approaches that should be fast-tracked into development.
These will be reviewed by expert advisory committees as soon as possible. As of today, most research that could be useful for Zika has been carried out on other flaviviruses – such as dengue or yellow fever.Diagnostics are a top urgency in order to ascertain the presence of the Zika virus as opposed to other similar diseases caused by flaviviruses with mosquito vectors.
Very few test are available. A call to interested companies and other groups was issued on 5 February to submit potential products to the WHO ‘Emergency Assessment and Listing’ procedure.