Another tough mosquito can spread the Zika virus, increasing the number of U.S. regions that could be susceptible to the virus.
Mexican researchers discovered the virus, which spreads primarily through mosquito bites, in the Asian tiger mosquito. It is the first evidence of the virus in the mosquito, according to a report from the Pan American Health Organization, the Americas arm of the World Health Organization.
Zika causes a mild illness in most people, but the federal government has linked it to a birth defect called microcephaly and is studying a link to a neurological disorder called Guillain-Barre Syndrome that causes paralysis.
The finding is significant as it means that a third type of mosquito can carry the virus. For now, the only two types of mosquitoes that carry Zika are the Aedes aegypti and the tiger mosquito.
Aedes aegypti spreads as far north as Ohio and Connecticut in the U.S., with the virus dominant in the South and Southwest.
However, the estimated range of the Asian tiger mosquito is as far north as parts of Minnesota and Maine, according to estimates from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Like Aedes aegypti, the Asian tiger is a voracious feeder. It also has a rapid bite that allows it to escape attempts to swat at it, according to the CDC.
The agency has warned that people should eliminate standing water in places such as buckets and flower pots where mosquitoes can breed, and wear long sleeves and use insect repellent on exposed skin to prevent bites.
So far the virus is not spreading via mosquito bites in the U.S. But the continental U.S. has 426 Zika cases as of April 27, the CDC said.
A majority of those cases are from people who traveled to a country or territory that has the virus spreading via mosquitoes.
The CDC and other health agencies have warned of limited outbreaks in the U.S. once the summer hits. An administration official said the continental U.S. could have dozens of cases, much smaller than cases in Latin American countries.
The news of the transmission comes as Congress debates President Obama’s funding request for $1.9 billion to fight Zika.
Congress has recessed for a week without coming to an agreement on the funding. Democrats accused Republicans of not doing their jobs, while Republicans argue the administration hasn’t fully answered questions on how the money would be spent.
