Chinese scientists have sequenced the genome of the country's first imported Zika virus, helping with prevention and diagnosis.

A photo shows a Brazilian father kissing his child who is plagued by zika virus. [Photo: Xinhua]

The success was achieved by scientists with the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention and the provincial center in east China's Jiangxi Province.

This will lay the foundation for understanding the variations of the virus as well as developing bacteria and re-agents to diagnose the disease.

China confirmed the first imported Zika case on Feb. 9. The patient, a 34-year-old man from Jiangxi, developed a fever, headache and dizziness on Jan. 28 in Venezuela, before returning home on Feb. 5 via Hong Kong and Shenzhen. He has been discharged from hospital after a full recovery.

Zika causes only minor flu-like symptoms in adults.

However, researchers believe the virus is the likely factor behind a sharp rise in cases of microcephaly - newborns with abnormally small heads.

Go to Forum >>0 Comment(s)