Zika Virus Threatens Two Billion People Across The World, New Maps Reveal

More than two billion people are at risk of Zika virus, experts warn, as they reveal a new map that indicates those areas at greatest risk.

The southeastern US, including much of Texas to Florida, have ideal conditions for the virus to spread.

Meanwhile, a large portion of tropical and subtropical regions also have highly suitable environmental conditions, and are on the at-risk list.

In total, these areas are inhabited by more than 2.17 billion people, scientists at the University of Oxford and the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation in Seattle, estimate.

Researchers produced a fine-scale global map of Zika virus transmission, as part of their study.

Lead author, Janey Messina from Oxford University, said: 'We have comprehensively assembled all the data for Zika occurrence in humans, displayed it as a map, and combined it with detailed predictions of where the virus could spread next.

'Our global risk map reveals priority regions where authorities could intervene to control the vector population and where surveillance of the virus should be concentrated in order to improve rapid outbreak response and clinical diagnosis.'
'Our findings that a global area inhabited by over 2.17 billion people is highly suitable for transmission of Zika virus, combined with the rapid cross-continent spread we have already seen, emphasise why the World Health Organisation has declared the current outbreak as a Public Health Emergency of International Concern,' said David Pigott from Seattle's Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation.

'With our maps and with the wealth of other information emerging from the global science and public health community, policy-makers can decide where to prioritise vector control and other preventative measures as well as where to be most vigilant about correctly diagnosing Zika as opposed to the many other prevalence arboviruses.'

The new study is published in eLife.


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