The index provides users with a 90-day forecast of their region’s risk of contracting the Zika virus. AccuWeather calculates the estimated forecast by weighing the concentration of mosquitos alongside scientific research into how weather affects Zika transmission by mosquitoes.
The goal of the Mosquito Zika Risk Index is to inform users’ decision-making by alerting them about potentially unsafe areas. However, AccuWeather officials emphasized the feature is not a medical warning.
“Weather is an enormous factor when it comes to our health,” said Steve Smith, president of digital media at AccuWeather. “This new Mosquito Zika Risk index will help people make better decisions to protect their health by giving them the insight they need to avoid risky scenarios, or take necessary precautions when visits to high-risk areas are unavoidable.”
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