In this map, the New York Times highlights the regions in the United States where mosquitos carrying the Zika virus -- which has been linked to a fetal brain defect -- are most likely to spread during the upcoming spring and summer seasons. At-risk regions include several states that have enacted multiple abortion restrictions, such as Florida, Louisiana and Texas.
In an accompanying editorial, Peter Hotez -- dean of Baylor College of Medicine's National School of Tropical Medicine and a pediatrician and microbiologist at Texas Children's Hospital -- calls for urgent action in response to the threat of Zika, noting that it will disproportionately affect low-income residents of at-risk states. While multiple Zika vaccines are being created, they will not be ready before the virus begins spreading in the United States. In addition to mosquito control and environmental cleanup, Hotez stresses the importance of improving women's contraceptive access and educating pregnant women about the virus (Hotez, New York Times, 4/8).
