“Everything we know about this virus seems to be a bit scarier than we initially thought,” said Dr. Anne Schuchat of the CDC at a White House briefing on Monday.
The Zika virus disease, spread primarily through the bit of an infected mosquito, was first discovered in 1947, according to the CDC. Because its most common symptoms are fever, rash, joint pain, and conjunctivitis, it often remains undiagnosed and untreated. On Feb 1, 2016, after its first meeting of the Emergency Committeee on Zika Virus the World Health Organization (WHO) declared the Zika virus a Public Health Emergency of International Concern. This was due to the investigation that revealed clusters of microcephaly, a medical condition in which the brain is underdeveloped or has stopped growing that causes the head to be smaller than usual, along with other neurological disorders that may indicate an association with the virus.
During the briefing, Dr. Schuchat also stated that the virus has been linked to a wider set of complications in pregnancy like prematurity and eye problems. She also indicated that there are more states than initial estimates suggested in which the mosquito is present. They estimate about 30 states have the mosquito present. The first case of Zika in the United States was reported in February, reportedly spread through sexual contact.
