A leading British health expert is warning Britons to “think twice” about visiting Disney World and other popular U.S. tourist destinations this year over fear of a Zika virus outbreak. With mosquito season upon the United States, Professor Jimmy Whitworth of the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine claims that the U.S. is ripe for a Zika virus outbreak in its Southern states, and that pregnant women and couples hoping to conceive should avoid travel to some popular travel destinations within the United States.

The Daily Mail reports that many Britons are being told to reconsider holidays to the United States, as the Zika virus is slated to arrive in numerous states across the south. Included in the area of concern is Florida, a popular tourist destination which includes ample beaches and Disney World. Professor Whitworth notes that Britons hoping to travel to Disney World, the Florida Keys, Miami, or other areas in the southern United States should “think twice,” as Zika will likely spread in those areas heavily as mosquito season approaches.

The concerns have also been expressed by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention in the United States. The CDC notes that information regarding the Zika virus is “a bit scarier than we initially thought.” Therefore, the health officials are asking for $1.9 billion in Zika virus funding to be secured to combat the spread of the virus as new evidence suggests that the mosquitoes carrying the disease are found in 30 states, not just 12 as originally thought.

“The CDC is now reporting nearly 1400 cases of the #Zika virus in the United States and territories.” -Murray pic.twitter.com/4CJuLtU92j — Senator Patty Murray (@PattyMurray) May 25, 2016

USA Today reports that Dr. Anne Schuchat, the principal deputy director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, calls the latest Zika virus reports “not reassuring” and has expressed concern about the potential for an outbreak in the United States.

“Most of what we’ve learned is not reassuring. Everything we look at with this virus seems to be a bit scarier than we initially thought.”

Schuchat notes that Zika has already been spread locally in Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, and America Samoa but it likely won’t end there. The CDC reports that 30 of the 50 U.S. states may be affected by local cases of Zika virus as the Aedes aegypti species, the species carrying the virus, has been found in more states than previously expected. Prior to the latest reports, it was believed that only 12 states would be locally affected by Zika, and that it would be heavily isolated. The new reports indicate this is not be the case, and that the threat is larger than initially thought.

What you need to know this summer to protect yourself from the #Zika virus in the United States https://t.co/AzWl1frVho — Special Needs Radio (@TheCoffeeKlatch) May 28, 2016

In addition to the Aedes aegypti species being located in more states than expected, the virus itself is also more severe than health officials once believed. The most severe risks are presented to pregnant women, as a host of birth defects have been linked to Zika virus including microcephaly, blindness, and premature birth. Other studies suggest that adults may be at increased risk of Guillain-Barre syndrome, which can cause paralysis. Zika has also been linked to a second autoimmune disorder called acute disseminated encephalomyelitis. It resembles multiple sclerosis and involves a swelling of the brain and spinal cord.

157 pregnant women in the United States have tested positive for the Zika virus: https://t.co/87qzVkeZo1 (via @Reuters) — FiveThirtyEight (@FiveThirtyEight) May 23, 2016

Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, says he is not an alarmist but that he is concerned about the threats that Zika poses to public health.

“I’m not an alarmist and most of you who know me know that I am not, but the more we learn about the neurological aspects, the more we look around and say this is very serious.”

Though the Zika virus is most commonly transferred by mosquito bite, it can also be transmitted sexually. With the growing concerns surrounding the spread of the Zika virus, do you think British health officials will continue to warn Britons to avoid travel to the United States?

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