Nuclear radiation may be used to combat Zika virus

The Atomic Energy Agency head said his organization has conducted extensive scientific trials and research into the effectiveness of the proposed method. He said the technology to sterilise insects is very effective in the reduction or eradication of the population of mosquitos and other carriers.

He pointed out that similar treatments have been carried out in parts of Africa, targeting the Tsetse fly, which infects humans with a parasitic disease known as human sleeping sickness.

According to the Pan American Health Organization, the Zika virus will likely spread to all 33 Latin American and Caribbean countries, as well as the southern part of the United States.

Alarmed at the surge of the mosquito virus in the Americas, the U.S. Government has also launched an effort to develop a vaccine. However, medical observers say developing a vaccine could take years.

In addition to causing birth defects, the Zika virus appears to be linked to a rise in a nerve ailment called Guillain-Barre Syndrome, which causes paralysis in adults.