The Zika Virus in Florida

Spread by mosquitoes, the Zika virus began appearing in Florida earlier this summer. Pregnant women especially need to be careful because the virus can cause severe birth defects of the brain such as microcephaly, which causes a baby's head to be smaller than normal. Babies with Zika might also have eye defects, hearing problems, and impaired growth as well as Guillain-Barre syndrome, a disease of the nervous system. People who come in contact with mosquitoes should spray insect repellent on themselves. For more information about the Zika virus, go to http://www.cdc.gov/zika/index.html.

 

A mosquito