Zika's potential to spread in U.S. 'scarier than we initially thought:' CDC
Type of mosquito that carries Zika virus present in 30 states
Top U.S. health officials say the more they learn about Zika, the scarier the virus appears and they still need more money to fight the mosquitoes that spread it and for research into vaccines and treatments.
Dr. Anthony Fauci of the U.S. National Institutes of Health (NIH) says he's "not an alarmist," but he cites recent discoveries about how destructive Zika appears to be to fetal brains. There also are reports of rare neurologic problems in adults, too.
Fauci says the $589 million U.S. now available is a "temporary stopgap" and it's "not enough for us to get the job done."
Dr. Anne Schuchat, a deputy director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, told reporters the type of mosquito in which the virus is carried is present in more U.S. states than initially thought.
The Aedes aegypti mosquito is now thought be present in 30 states, instead of about 12.
"Everything we look at with this virus seems to be a bit scarier than we initially thought and so while we absolutely hope we don't see wide spread local transmission in the continental U.S., we need the states to be ready for that."
Schuchatsaid the virus is linked to a broader set of complications in pregnancy,not just microcephalybut also
prematurity, eye problems and other conditions.
Schuchatsaid they're concerned about the spread of Zika virus in Puerto Rico, where there could be hundreds of thousands of cases and "perhaps hundreds of affected babies."
Fauci said the firstZika vaccine candidate from the NIHshould be available in September. Such an experimental vaccine would need to clear testing in animals before clinical trials in humans could begin. If those trials are successful then amanufacturer could apply to regulatorsto commercially produce avaccine. The whole process can take years.
With files from Reuters and CBC News
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