UPDATE 1-World's top scientists pledge to share all findings to fight Zika

(Adds expert comment and reaction throughout)
By Kate Kelland
LONDON, Feb 10 (Reuters) - Thirty of the world's leading
scientific research institutions, journals and funders have
pledged to share for free all data and expertise on Zika to
speed up the fight against an outbreak of the viral disease
spreading across the Americas.
"The arguments for sharing data and the consequences of not
doing so (have been) ... thrown into stark relief by the Ebola
and Zika outbreaks," said a statement issued by signatories from
around the world.
Specialists welcomed the initiative, saying it showed how
the global health community had learned crucial lessons from
West Africa's Ebola epidemic, which killed more than 11,300
people and saw scientists scrambling to conduct research to help
in the development of potential treatments and vaccines.
Zika, a viral disease carried by mosquitoes, is causing
international alarm as an outbreak in Brazil has now spread
through much of the Americas.
"In the context of a public health emergency of
international concern, there is an imperative on all parties to
make any information available that might have value in
combating the crisis," the signatories wrote.
Much remains unknown about Zika, including whether it may
cause birth defects or other neurological problems.
Brazil is investigating a potential link between Zika
infections and some 4,000 suspected cases in newborn babies of
microcephaly, a condition in which an abnormally small head size
can result in developmental problems.
Medical and scientific research teams around the world have
stepped up efforts to find out more about the disease, including
how vaccines or treatments might be developed to fight it.
Mark Woolhouse, a University of Edinburgh professor of
infectious diseases, said the open sharing of data commitment
was "one of the most welcome developments" he'd seen in decades.
"If acted upon, this declaration will save lives," he said.
Signatories to Wednesday's agreement to share the fruits of
that research included the United States Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention (CDC), the Bill & Melinda Gates
Foundation, the World Health Organization (WHO), France's
Institut Pasteur, the UK Academy of Medical Sciences and the
Wellcome Trust global health charity.
Scientific journals, including the New England Journal of
Medicine, Nature, Science and The Lancet, pledged to
"make all content concerning the Zika virus free to access".
Jeremy Farrar, director of the Wellcome Trust and a
signatory of the statement, said research is an essential part
of the response to any global health emergency.
"This is particularly true for Zika, where so much is still
unknown about the virus, how it is spread and the possible link
with microcephaly," he said.
Trudie Lang, a professor and director of the Global Health
Network at Britain's Oxford University, said that if data is
shared more, "questions can be answered faster".
"This agreement is a very important step...and it is
excellent to see the lessons we learnt from Ebola being put into
place," she said.