Pharmaceutical giant assists with development of Zika vaccine

The fight against the mosquito-borne Zika virus is getting some extra help.

Pharmaceutical giant, Sanofi, announced that it is joining efforts with U.S. Army researchers to speed up development of a potential vaccine.

Researchers hope the combined effort will accelerate work amid the current outbreak, which is mostly hitting South America.

Health officials are urging residents to be on the lookout for standing water, where mosquitoes breed.

Mecklenburg County is also taking steps to apply more mosquito dunk devices that kill eggs quickly.

So far no cases of the Zika virus have been contracted in the United States. All reported cases in the country are people who traveled outside the U.S.

Cox Media Group