A team of Colorado State University scientists, led by veterinary postdoctoral fellow Dr. Anna Fagre, has detected Zika virus RNA in free-ranging African bats. RNA, or ribonucleic acid, is a molecule that plays a central role in the function of genes.
CSU researchers make first-ever discovery of Zika virus RNA in free-ranging African bats 02 Jun, 2021
CSU Assistant Professor Rebekah Kading (left) and Dr. Anna Fagre (right) aimed to learn more about potential reservoirs of Zika virus through the research project. Photo: CSU
A team of Colorado State University scientists, led by veterinary postdoctoral fellow Dr. Anna Fagre, has detected Zika virus RNA in free-ranging African bats. RNA, or ribonucleic acid, is a molecule that plays a central role in the function of genes.
Dr. Anna Fagre is a veterinary postdoctoral fellow at CSU’s Center for Vector-Borne Infectious Diseases.
According to Fagre, the new research is a first-ever in science. It also marks the first time scientists have published a study on the detection of Zika virus RNA in
Dr. Anna Fagre, a researcher at CSU s Center for Vector-Borne Infectious Diseases, said detection of nucleic acid in bats in the wild indicates that they are naturally infected or exposed through the bite of infected mosquitoes.