The Zika virus could be coming to Europe

As spring transitions into summer and Europe begins to warm, experts at the World Health Organization now believe there is a chance that the Zika virus could spread to the continent.

Zika virus is an infectious disease linked to serious birth defects in babies when passed on through pregnant mothers. While it is widespread in Central and South America — and the United States is racing to brace against an outbreak — Zika was evaluated as a small to moderate risk for Europeans, being of highest concern in regions where Aedes mosquitoes have large populations, including the island of Madeira and the northeast coast of the Black Sea.

In all, 18 countries in Europe are at moderate risk for local Zika transmission, and 36 other countries have low, very low, or no likelihood of getting the virus due to their climates, Reuters reports. WHO Europe warned countries with high or moderate risk to improve their vector-control measures to prevent the spread and density of mosquito populations.

"We call particularly on countries at higher risk to strengthen their national capacities and prioritize the activities that will prevent a large Zika outbreak," the WHO's regional director for Europe, Zsuzsanna Jakab, said.