It’s a tiny virus, visible only with an electron microscope, but it could wreak major havoc this summer if it’s not contained. As the weather warms and mosquitos arrive, the Zika virus could spread further through Texas, The Houston Chronicle reports. The disease has already hit epidemic levels in parts of South and Central America. In those areas, it has caused severe deformation in thousands of newborn babies.
Humans brought Zika to Texas months ago. The Lone Star State already has 40 confirmed travel-related cases of the virus. But some experts believe we’ll see Zika boom in the summer months.
All of the Texas cases thus far have been transmitted through humans, which means it’s easier to contain it at this point. The key now is to keep Zika from spreading to Texas mosquitos. If the insects get it, containment becomes much more difficult.