The island of Madeira and the Black Sea’s north coast are tipped as the highest danger spots.
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Alabama is home to the two types of mosquitos that carry Zika virus, but they are not as widespread as they are in numerous countries that have been hit hard by the disease. France, Italy and Malta face the most danger in this group.
“The new evidence published today tells us that there is a risk of spread of Zika virus in the European region, and that this risk varies from country to country”, said Dr Zsuzsanna Jakab, the World Health Organization regional director of Europe.
The call to action comes as Congress takes up funding measures to thwart outbreaks on the US mainland.
The Senate voted on Tuesday to advance $1.1 billion in emergency financing to combat the Zika virus, setting up a confrontation with House Republicans who have put forward a plan with just $622 million reallocated from other programs.
Democrats and at least one House Republican on Wednesday said the GOP plan shortchanges states on the front lines of a potential outbreak.
CNN said scientists have cloned the Zika virus for the first time, which may help them develop a vaccine.
“This funding bill is the next step in our response”, Rogers said, promising it’ll be enough “to fight and prevent the spread of the Zika virus for the rest of this fiscal year” on September 30.
Zika virus festered for decades in Africa and the Asia-Pacific region before globe-hopping to Latin America, where it is causing babies to be born with abnormally small heads.
He said: “Summer is approaching fast and the risk of Zika spreading to Europe is real”.
“Apart from travellers to areas with active transmission of Zika virus, it is important to be aware that the public health risk posed by Zika virus in England is very low”.
According to reports from state health agencies 46 states now have confirmed cases of Zika, but the majority of those are from individuals who have traveled to affected countries.
Mr. Obama has said he will reject the House’s bill because it funds only a third of his own request and taps more Ebola funding, instead of backfilling the $510 million he already took from that fight to prepare for the latest health scare.
Using procedural tactics, Democrats tried to force two votes by unanimous consent: one to approve the $1.9 billion sought by the Obama administration, and another requesting to speed up passage of a $1.1 billion measure that senators backed Tuesday. A proposal to grant the full White House request failed, as did a proposal that would have appropriated the money, but with offsetting spending cuts.
It’s been three months since the administration asked Congress for $1.9 billion in emergency funding, but a deal has get to be finalized – a delay that Frieden said he finds astounding.
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Top House Republicans say this isn’t the only money they intend to give to the Zika effort. “So, that doesn’t make sense at all”.
