After criticism, Brazil transferring Zika samples to US

Brazil says it is sending a set of samples related to the Zika outbreak to the US Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, an announcement that follows criticism over the country's hoarding of disease data and biological material.

The Associated Press reported yesterday that researchers across the world were being starved of access to Zika virus samples and information, with many countries relying on older strains from outbreaks in the Pacific and Africa for tests and research.

The World Health Organisation and Brazilian health officials told the AP that legal issues were complicating the sharing of data.

Brazil's health ministry today said it had just wrapped up Zika field work with an American team and would be shipping two-thirds of the material gathered to the United States.