Stocks To Play In A Zika Virus Pandemic

In a new article from the Journal of the American Medical Association, scientists Daniel Lucey and Lawrence Gostin urge the World Health Organization (WHO) to take urgent action to combat the Zika virus. There is currently no vaccine for the virus, which is linked to shrunken brains in children. Thousands of Brazilians have been infected with the disease, which has now spread to more than 20 countries and is beginning to cause widespread panic in certain locations.

The CDC has said that the United States now has 20 confirmed cases of Zika infection from U.S. territories. Zika is spread via infected mosquitoes.

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Lucey and Gostin want the WHO to take action now and avoid a repeat of the recent Ebola crisis, which resulted in thousands of deaths.

Well-Positioned Stocks, Ready For Pandemics

According to Andy Obermueller, author of "Game-Changing Stocks" newsletter, there are many public companies that are well positioned in case of a global pandemic, including Chimerix Inc (NASDAQ: CMRX), Gilead Sciences, Inc. (NASDAQ: GILD) and Johnson & Johnson (NYSE: JNJ).

Regarding Zika specifically, Intrexon Corp (NYSE: XON) is fighting to use its genetically-modified mosquitos to combat the outbreak in Brazil. Shares are up more than 12.5 percent in Thursday’s session.

Disclosure: The author holds no position in the stocks mentioned.

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