A*STAR study is the first in the world to look at the effects of the Zika infection on an unborn baby's brain

Scientists from A*STAR’s Singapore Immunology Network (SIgN) and KK Women’s and Children’s Hospital (KKH) have discovered, for the first time, how the Zika virus may be damaging an unborn baby's brain. Their study published in the scientific journal Clinical Infectious Diseases found that the Zika virus targets the microglia – key brain cells that are responsible for the formation of the brain’s structure. Hence, if unborn babies are infected with Zika, this may dysregulate brain formation and growth, leading to abnormalities and intellectual disabilities.

• Straits Times: Researchers uncover how Zika may be harming foetus' brain