In other countries like Columbia and Puerto Rico, the virus also appeared to be spreading many months before the countries identified the presence of infections.
“Because the data we generated capture the geographic diversity of the virus across the Americas, they provide an opportunity to trace how and when the virus spread," said study co-author Hayden Metsky, a graduate student in the Sabeti lab, in a statement. "Our data and findings will also support development of more effective molecular diagnostic tests, as well as improved public health surveillance tools.”
In another study published in Nature, researchers looked at how the Zika virus entered the state of Florida and reported that the virus appeared to be circulating circulating in Spring of 2016, and that there was likely four different introductions of the virus into Florida that contributed to its spread.The researchers say their study underlines the need for more sensitive diagnostic tools for infectious diseases as well as the importance of sharing information about disease spread across countries.
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