CONCERNING

CDC: Zika Scarier Than We First Thought

Now present in 30 states.

Top U.S. health officials said the Zika virus is “scarier” than initially thought and the mosquito-borne virus is now present in about 30 states. Anne Schuchat, the principal deputy director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, warned that mosquito eradication and vaccine research may not able to catch up as summer fast approaches. According to the most recent CDC report, there are 346 cases of Zika confirmed in the continental U.S. Of those, 32 were pregnant women and seven cases were sexually transmitted. Schuchat also warned that Puerto Rico could face hundreds of thousands of Zika infections and hundreds of affected babies. The CDC’s concerns come as the Obama administration continues to pressure Congress to approve about $1.9 billion in emergency funding for Zika preparedness.