The WHO discusses outbreak concerns.
(Image credit: Fabrice Coffrini/AFP/Getty Images)

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.

Subscribe to The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE
https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/flexiimages/jacafc5zvs1692883516.jpg

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Sign up
Explore More
Jeva Lange

Jeva Lange was the executive editor at TheWeek.com. She formerly served as The Week's deputy editor and culture critic. She is also a contributor to Screen Slate, and her writing has appeared in The New York Daily News, The Awl, Vice, and Gothamist, among other publications. Jeva lives in New York City. Follow her on Twitter.