Now that locally-transmitted cases of the Zika virus have been confirmed in Florida, disease specialists say South Texas and other parts of the country should get ready to deal with Zika-carrying mosquitoes here. The buzzing of mosquitoes carries a sinister threat this year: the Zika virus, which can cause birth deformities if pregnant women are infected. The director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, Dr. Anthony Fauci, says by the end of the summer, Texas may see locally-transmitted Zika cases, cases not related to travel. “I would not be surprised if we did see isolated local transmission in the southern part of Texas, particularly along the Gulf Coast,” Fauci stated. “I hope people take it seriously enough, especially if you’re a pregnant woman. We didn’t realize until months into it that it could be transmitted sexually. It’s challenging because this is a very unique situation. This is the first mosquito-borne infection that actually results in

Source: Texas Public Radio