Medical professionals from Latin America, the Caribbean and Africa have been trained in a nuclear-derived technique that can quickly detect the Zika virus.

Reverse Transcription Polymerase Chain Reaction (RT-PCR) can detect the virus within three hours.

More than 30 countries have been affected by the Zika virus, which is associated with microcephaly, a birth defect that results in babies being born with abnormally small heads, as well as neurological disorders in adults.

It is transmitted by the Aedes aegypti mosquito.

Steve Thatchet reports on the training course conducted by the UN’s nuclear energy agency, the IAEA.

Duration: 3'22"