All eyes are on Brazil. The Olympics are around the corner and we will watch athletes from 207 countries come together to compete. However, the Olympic Games will not be the only event on everyone's mind.
The Zika virus outbreak in Brazil has become a growing concern, especially with the anticipation of 500,000 visitors expected to travel from all over the world to attend the Games. Little is known about this virus and government health officials are depending on scientific researchers to learn more about Zika before one of the world's largest events takes place. However, the need to rapidly publish Zika findings is having an interesting effect on how scientific research is reported.
In an institution like Science where job stability and promotion are strongly tied to publication status, Zika virus is breaking boundaries and shaking up the publication game. In early February the World Health Organization declared the Zika virus threat to be a “Public Health Emergency of International Concern.” Now more than ever, it is necessary for researchers to rapidly report their Zika data so public health officials can implement measures to control viral spread and protect the lives of those most at risk.
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