At the IAEA laboratories in Seibersdorf, Austria, over 35 participants from 26 countries have been trained to use a nuclear-derived technique to quickly and accurately detect Zika virus.

The training course is being carried out as part of an IAEA technical cooperation project, set up to strengthen Zika virus detection capacities in Member States in Latin America and the Caribbean. Participants are learning to use reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), a nuclear-derived technique that offers fast and efficient virus detection. RT-PCR is a WHO-recommended protocol for Zika virus.

Zika virus is transmitted through the bite of infected Aedes aegypti mosquitoes. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), the virus has spread to 35 countries and territories in the Americas since its presence was confirmed in the region in 2015. Countries in other regions have also been affected.