Zika: interview with the researcher who identified the virus As Brazil urges its neighbors to unite in fighting the Zika virus, blamed for a surge in brain-damaged babies, researcher Gubio Soares, who identified the virus in April 2015, worries it could spread even further if necessary measures aren't quickly taken. The outbreak is particularly concerning officials as the country prepares to host the Olympics, which will bring hundreds of thousands of travelers from around the world to Rio de Janeiro in August. There is currently no specific treatment for Zika and no way to prevent it other than avoiding mosquito bites. IMAGES AND SOUNDBITES//REFILING TO CORRECT HEADLINE