The Zika Virus (Danielle Renwick, CFR)

The Zika virus, a mosquito-borne illness, has been linked to a dramatic rise in birth defects in Brazil and was reported to be spreading across the Americas in early 2016, prompting the World Health Organization (WHO) to declare a Public Health Emergency of International Concern. By February 2016, mosquitoes carrying the virus had been detected in more than two dozen countries, and the WHO projected that as many as four million people could be infected by the end of the year. Health officials say there are strong indications that the Zika virus is behind the twentyfold increase in cases of microcephaly, a condition in which infants are born with unusually small heads and brains that usually results in developmental disabilities. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has said pregnant women, or women who may become pregnant, should consider postponing travel to the nearly thirty countries where the Zika virus has been transmitted. Some governments, including those of Colombia, Ecuador, and El Salvador have advised women against becoming pregnant in the near future.

http://www.cfr.org/public-health-threats-and-pandemics/zika-virus/p37527