RALEIGH, N.C. (WNCN) – The World Health Organization (WHO) has declared a Zika emergency. From 2007 to 2016 there are cases in 62 countries and the numbers are only increasing.

The Centers for Disease Control has declared a level one emergency, the fourth time that the CDC’s command center has taken such an action.

The other emergencies were Hurricane Katrina, the H1N1 flu threat in 2009, and the Ebola epidemic in West Africa. During emergencies, experts are mobilized in order to study and combat the disease.

In the case of Zika, the agency has called together more than 300 experts in insect-borne viruses, reproductive health, and birth and developmental defects.

There are roughly 672 confirmed cases in U.S. territories such as Puerto Rico and the United States, including 64 pregnant women. Zika can also be transmitted through sexual contact and it’s estimated that 40 million people will travel between the U.S. and countries with Zika outbreaks.

Zika is a very scary virus. It has been linked with a severe neurological disease, called Guillain-Barre syndrome, which can cause both temporary and permanent paralysis, and at least 4,000 cases of a devastating birth defect, microcephaly. Babies born with microcephaly have small heads and brains, which often leads to lifelong cognitive impairment and disability.

Zika-carrying mosquitoes are now present in about 30 states, up from 12. It has also been confirmed that the virus can be transmitted sexually as well as through mosquito bites.

The Obama administration is hoping to push a funding bill through Congress but Congress has not yet taken on such action. Money has now been diverted from studying Ebola in order to cover the costs of battling Zika at this point.

The money will be mostly for CDC research on the virus and Zika-related birth defects, as well as the creation of response teams to limit its spread. The National Institutes of Health will continue research into a vaccine and the U.S. Agency for International Development would intensify efforts to fight the virus overseas.

The goals for the CDC at present are to:

– Develop quicker cheaper lab tests to confirm Zika

– Develop a vaccine/treatment

– Study the linkage between Zika and microcephaly as well as GBS

– Enhance surveillance

– Likely will have a vaccine ready by September if all goes wellTo get in touch with Dr. Campbell, you can head to his website, Facebook page or message him on Twitter. If there’s a topic you’d like to see Dr. Campbell cover, let us know by sending an email to newstips@wncn.com.