ATLANTA, Georgia – The U.S. Centers for Disease Control released new numbers this week, showing the extent of Zika cases nationally and by state.
According to the May 18 post, there are currently 544 cases nationwide and four in Michigan. All those cases were associated with someone who traveled to an area where the outbreak is much more prevalent, such as Latin American countries. None of the cases were acquired by infected mosquitoes in the U.S. and none were transmitted sexually.
In the country, 157 pregnant women show laboratory signs of having Zika.
Zika is a mosquito-borne virus that can cause a birth defect called microcephaly and other serious brain abnormalities.
President Barack Obama is trying to turn up the heat on Congress to pass legislation to fight the Zika virus.
Obama says Congress has “got to get moving.” He warns researchers need time to develop a vaccine, and states need time to ramp up mosquito control programs.
The House and Senate have advanced bills to fight the virus. The House legislation has a much smaller price tag and only pays for programs through September 30. Obama has threatened to veto it and is pushing for a deal that comes closer to the $1.1 billion Senate bill.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
