Top CDC Official: Zika Mosquito Now in 30 U.S. States, More Than Double Initial Estimates

Monica Sanchez | April 11, 2016
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A top Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC) official briefed reporters on the Zika virus at the White House Monday afternoon.

Dr. Anne Schuchat, Principal Deputy Director of the CDC, told press that what has been learned about the virus thus far is “not reassuring,” but that the U.S. is working tirelessly to prevent a possible epidemic.  

“We continue to be learning [more about the virus] everyday, and most of what we’re learning is not reassuring,” said Dr. Schuchat, Principal Deputy Director for the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC).

She explained, “We have learned that the virus is linked to a broader set of complications in pregnancy… We have learned that the mosquito vector – the aedes aegypti mosquito – is present in a broader range of states in the continental U.S., so instead of about 12 states where the mosquito is present, we believe about 30 states have the mosquito present.”

Dr. Schuchat noted great concern for Puerto Rico, a U.S. territory.

“We are quite concerned about Puerto Rico, where the virus is spreading throughout the island,” she said. “We think there could be hundreds of thousands of cases of the virus in Puerto Rico and perhaps hundreds of affected babies.”

Schuchat said that the CDC is working closely with authorities in Puerto Rico to combat the disease with “mosquito control” kits and sexual education, as the virus can be spread both by mosquito and sexual transmission.   

Dr. Anthony Fauci, Director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), echoed Dr. Schuchat’s remarks, saying, “The more and more we learn, the more and more you get concerned about the scope of what this virus is doing.”

“Bottom line is, we still have a lot to learn,” he added. 

Listen to their full remarks in the video below.

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