virus

The government is trying to wipe out Zika virus, which has been linked to a severe birth defect. But is it doing enough to help families whose children have been affected?

A type of bird flu that appeared in China a few months ago has infected more than a hundred people. Some scientists are worried that this virus has the potential spread globally. But a look at the virus's genes suggests the pathogen doesn't have the typical features of pandemic.

"The top priority is diagnosis — the capability to be able to pick up this virus, should it emerge outside of China," says virologist John McCauley. Flu researchers are getting started on creating a vaccine, but there are still many unknowns.

Scientists are scrambling to understand a bird flu virus never before found in humans. It grabbed world attention this past week after it infected and killed people in China. Weekend Edition Sunday host Rachel Martin talks with Dr. Thomas R. Frieden, director of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.