The Zika virus, unlike other mosquito-borne viruses such as dengue, is relatively unknown and unstudied. That is set to change since Zika, now spreading through Latin America and the Caribbean, has been associated with an alarming rise in babies born in Brazil with abnormally small heads and brain defects – a condition called microcephaly.

Massachusetts: In patients suffering from Type 1 diabetes, the immune system attacks the pancreas, eventually leaving patients without the ability to naturally control blood sugar. These patients must carefully monitor the amount of sugar in their blood, measuring it several times a day and then injecting themselves with insulin to keep their blood sugar levels within a healthy range. However, precise control of blood sugar is difficult to achieve, and patients face a range of long-term medical problems as a result.

Winston-Salem: Bradycardia – a slower than normal heartbeat – does not increase the risk of developing cardiovascular disease, according to a study conducted by researchers at Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center. The study is published recently in the online edition of the Journal of American Medical Association Internal Medicine.

Washington: New research from the University of Southampton indicates that the public are being exposed, without their knowledge, to airborne ultrasound.

Chicago: Weight loss is often one of consumers’ top resolutions for the New Year. While the basic premise of losing weight is to consume less calories than calories burned, weight management has evolved over the years and includes a focus on burning fat, building lean muscle, boosting metabolism and suppressing appetite. In the January issue of Food Technology magazine published by the Institute of Food Technologists (IFT), contributing editor Linda Milo Ohr writes about six ingredients that can play a role in weight management.

Washington: Patients between the ages of 40 and 70 who undergo aortic valve replacement (AVR) may fare better with tissue-based valves rather than metal-based valves, according to a review article posted online by The Annals of Thoracic Surgery.