India is among five countries where projects are underway to develop vaccines to fight the deadly Zika virus affecting newborns in 38 countries.

• At present, WHO says more than 30 companies are working on, or have developed, potential new diagnostic tests.
• For vaccines, 23 projects are being worked on by 14 vaccine developers in the US, France, Brazil, India and Austria, WHO said.
• Zika virus is posing severe public health implications and is linked to neonatal malformations and neurological disorders affecting newborns.
• The WHO had in February declared the Zika virus outbreak as an “international public health emergency”.
• The virus is currently circulating in 38 countries and territories, Chan said in a statement as she warned that no one can predict whether the virus will spread to other parts of the world and cause a similar pattern of foetal malformations and neurological disorders.

According to WHO, the world was alerted to the first appearance of Zika in the Western Hemisphere in May 2015, when Brazil confirmed that a “mysterious outbreak” of thousands of cases of mild disease with rash was caused by the Zika virus.