Zika was first discovered at the Foundation-supported Virus Research Institute in Entebbe, Uganda in 1947, and a sample of the virus was given to ATCC (a
nonprofit organization that authenticates and preserves
microorganisms for research) by J. Casals of The Rockefeller Foundation in 1953. This appears to be the source of the rumor that The Rockefeller Foundation “patented” the virus. In fact there is no indication that The Rockefeller Foundation holds or has filed for any patent on the Zika virus or has received any royalties or payments.