As in so many countries, Mexico faces a variety of mosquito-borne viruses, including Zika, chikungunya, and dengue.

Westat will help conduct research in Mexico, sponsored by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases and the Mexican Emerging Infectious Disease Clinical Research Network, on how many people are infected with one or more mosquito-borne virus and what their symptoms look like. The same mosquitoes spread all three viruses.

We will

• Provide administrative and technical support to the study’s clinical sites in southern Mexico
• Work with the Network Coordinating Center in Mexico City to train site staff on regulatory requirements, study protocol, and protocol implementation 
• Oversee regulatory and protocol compliance
• Provide data management
• Help the staff write and publish research papers on the study findings

Our support of the Network sites and coordinating center will help researchers better understand

• The frequency of infections with multiple mosquito-borne viruses, including Zika, in Mexico
• The signs and symptoms of these infections
• The impact of these infections, including on the fetus and on people with the Guillain-Barré syndrome immune disorder
• How to develop rapid tests to quickly diagnose these infections