Zika “scarier” than first thought

Top U.S. health officials are urging Congress to unblock $1.9 billion in funding to fight the mosquito-borne Zika virus that is linked to birth defects, warning that its impact on the U.S. could be greater than predicted

SPREAD Mosquitoes that carry virus present in around 30 states, rather than 12 as previously thought

Aedes aegypti

Aedes albopictus

WA OR NV CA MT ID UT AZ WY CO NM ND SD NE KS OK TX MN IA MO AR LA MI IN KY TN AL OH WV NC SC GA FL ME NC PA VA MA RI CT NJ DE MD DC

ZIKA CASES (as of Apr 6) 

Travel-associated†

Locally acquired‡

U.S. States 346 3

U.S. Territories 0 351*

*Puerto Rico (325), American Samoa (14), U.S. Virgin Islands (12)

500km 310 miles

200km 125 miles

Puerto Rico: Potentially hundreds of thousands of infections by year end, with hundreds of babies affected

† Travellers returning from affected areas, sexual partners, or infants infected in utero

‡ Presumed local mosquito-borne transmission

Source: CDC, Picture: Getty Images

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