Gothamist
A non-profit newsroom, powered by WNYC.
Gothamist
Listen Live
News
Zika Virus 'Very Likely' To Spread In U.S.
By
Miranda Katz
Published May 4, 2016
Modified May 4, 2016
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
Never miss a story
Email address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .
By
Miranda Katz
Published May 4, 2016
Modified May 4, 2016
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
We rely on your support to make local news available to all
Make your contribution now and help Gothamist thrive in 2026. Donate today
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Though it may seem unlikely that the sun will ever shine again, summer is indeed coming, and with it comes an ever-heightened risk of Zika virus transmission. Though that risk is substantially higher in the south, both the CDC and NASA put NYC within range of the virus-transmitting Aedes aegypti mosquito, and researchers just confirmed the presence of the virus in Aedes albopictus, a related mosquito whose range extends much farther into the northeast. Now, experts are saying that 500 million people in the Americas are at risk of contracting the virus, and we're not as prepared as we should be.
Speaking at a press conference yesterday, Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases at the National Institute of Health, said it's "very likely" that the virus will be transmitted in the U.S. in the near future, and emphasized the importance of Congress approving the $1.9 billion that President Obama requested back in February, saying that "we need to get the Zika money to work with Zika."
Yesterday also saw a convention of Zika experts in Atlanta, where some warned about the pitfalls of fighting Zika virus at a local level: "We have a patchwork of mosquito control programs that are generally run at the county level," said Scott Weaver, the director of the Institute for Human Infections and Immunity. "We have nothing at the national level other than advice from the CDC and most states do not even coordinate their programs at the county level very well. Some very poor communities have virtually nothing available. Some wealthy counties have very sophisticated programs."
According to a recent analysis, New York City's airports are second only to Miami's in their risk of receiving passengers infected with the Zika virus this summer. That in and of itself isn't too concerning—it simply means that many people will be returning from Zika-affected areas through our airports—but it's not great news come mosquito season, because in order for mosquitos to begin transmitting the virus, they first have to pick it up from an infected human.
As Fauci told reporters yesterday, Zika virus raises an complicated question: "How do you communicate the danger and the threat of a disease that is fundamentally and historically mild?" Because indeed, Zika virus is, for most people, quite mild—except for women who are pregnant or hoping to become pregnant, as the CDC recently confirmed that the virus can cause babies to be born with microcephaly, a condition marked by abnormally small heads and underdeveloped brains. That's where the real panic over Zika virus lies—just today, the New York Times is reporting that a pregnant woman in Connecticut has tested positive for Zika virus, though it's not quite clear why that alone is making headlines, as here in NYC, eight pregnant women have been infected with the virus.
Last month, Mayor de Blasio announced a three-year, $21 million plan to fight the virus, emphasizing mosquito surveillance and control and urging New Yorkers to eliminate standing water (where the mosquitos like to breed), use mosquito repellent, and secure their window screens. On Monday, the city's Department of Health announced that it would donate one million condoms to help prevent sexual transmission of the virus in Puerto Rico, which just reported the first Zika-related death in the United States and its territories.
As of April 27th, 59 people in New York City have been infected with Zika virus. None were infected locally—they were bitten by a Zika-carrying mosquito abroad—and all have recovered. You can read more about the city's efforts to fight Zika virus here.
Tagged
aedes aegypti
aedes albopictus
cdc
zika
Zika virus
Miranda Katz
Read more
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
MORE news
A reliably Republican part of NJ, until ICE came to town
The Trump administration’s plan to convert a warehouse in Roxbury into an ICE detention center has upended local politics ahead of the midterm elections.
By
Mike Hayes
Published Oct 20, 2026 at 6:30 a.m. ET
NYC school integration debate exposes tensions between Black parents and Mamdani
Some see a blind spot when it comes to the representation of Black New Yorkers in Mamdani's administration and agenda.
By
Elizabeth Kim
News
NYC school integration debate exposes tensions between Black parents and Mamdani
Some see a blind spot when it comes to the representation of Black New Yorkers in Mamdani's administration and agenda.
By
Elizabeth Kim
Queens man charged with hate crime at Jewish-owned bagel shop displaying Israeli flags
By
Giulia Heyward
MTA train yards are in such bad shape plants are growing out of the roof, watchdog says
By
Stephen Nessen
High-ranking NYC officials to testify in ex-buildings boss Eric Ulrich's corruption trial
By
David Brand
Never miss a story
Catch up on the most important headlines with a roundup of essential NYC stories, delivered to your inbox daily.
Sign upEmail address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .