Researchers identify key proteins that may make Zika so deadly

Until it burst onto the scene earlier this year, Zika was an obscure, little-known virus. As a result, scientists know little about how it works. Over the past year, they have learned that it can cause a range of dangerous health problems, including birth defects such as microcephaly and neurological problems such as Guillain-Barré syndrome. But they don’t know which Zika protein or proteins are causing harm, or exactly how these proteins cause damage.

Now, a new study by scientists at the University of Maryland School of Medicine (UM SOM) has for the first time identified seven key proteins in the virus that may be the culprits behind this damage. The study is the first comprehensive description of the Zika virus genome. The study was published today in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.