Health experts in the US predict that the Zika virus may make its way into the states as early as April or May. The virus is housed by a devious mosquito that feeds on human blood. During the day it looks for a human host, but at night it hides inside of closets and under beds.
In the US communities have protected themselves from mosquitoes that carry all types of diseases via pesticide fog that is sprayed by airplanes and trucks. However, a great deal of experts do not think this approach will be effective against the type of mosquito that transmits the Zika virus.
This is due to the fact that the Aedes aegypti mosquito hides on walls, in closets, and under bed which are all areas that pesticide will not reach. Therefore, fogging alone will not be enough to prevent the spread of the virus. Federal officials hope that routine garbage collection, air conditioning, and window screens will be enough to stop the Zika virus from becoming main spread although it is recognized that local outbreaks most likely will occur along the Gulf Coast which borders Central America.
WHO, the World Health Organization, has already declared an international health emergency after evidence was found that links the Zika virus to the development of microcephaly in infants. According to Brazilian doctor Sergio Cortes, pregnant women that contract the virus have a much higher risk of giving birth to a child with microcephaly, a condition in which the head of the infant is very small causing brain damage.