Previous estimates indicated the Aedes aegypti mosquito population to be limited to the humid Gulf Coast. The new map pushes potential mosquito distribution into the South and Southwest, stretching northward into states like Virginia, southern Ohio and New Jersey. The Aedes aegypti mosquito is an optimal vessel for the transmission of Zika because it likes to live among people and prefers human blood to that of other animals.
The CDC’s map also outlines the distribution of the Aedes albopictus mosquito, which can also distribute Zika. The new approximation for distribution of the albopictus mosquito extends past previous estimates through the Midwest into southern Minnesota and spans through New England into southern Maine. However, the Aedes albopictus is less of threat for Zika transmission because it has a more diverse diet and does not spend substantial time around people.
In addition to microcephaly, a birth defect in which babies are born with abnormally small heads, Zika has exhibited a connection to other neurologically debilitating conditions such as Guillain-Barré syndrome, paralysis and deadly inflammation of the brain.
More articles on the Zika virus:
5 things to know about Zika misperceptions in US
CDC updates guidance on Zika transmission prevention & pregnancy: 7 things to know
Congress fails to vote on Zika funds before breaking for Easter
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