In a recent map, the CDC highlights the potential range of Aedes aegypti mosquitoes in the U.S. during 2016. Aedes aegypti mosquitoes are the type that can carry Zika virus.
Weather can be a major influence on spread of Zika virus and the life cycle of its mosquito host, especially in areas with warm weather and high humidity. Therefore, in the United States, the virus poses a higher risk in southern areas.
While there has yet to be a case of an infection transmitted locally in the continental United States, the Zika virus, which has already spread across much of South and Central America, has sparked increasing concern from both the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the World Health Organization (WHO) because of its impacts on pregnant women and their unborn children.
