New Jersey Now 'Within Range' Of Mosquitoes With Zika Virus: CDC

Mosquitoes that can transmit the Zika virus may live in a much larger area than previously thought, extending to all of New Jersey.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention posted new maps of the estimated range of Aedes aegypti mosquitoes on its website, showing that all areas of New Jersey could become home to the potentially dangerous insect.

The Zika virus has been linked to birth defects, and pregnant women have been identified as a group that's particularly at-risk.

The mosquitoes were once thought to be a threat to only the southern areas of the United States. But the CDC maps shows the mosquitoes reaching as far as New York City, New Jersey, southern Pennsylvania and California.

The maps also show the mosquito's cousin, Aedes albopictus, reaching all of New Jersey and as far north as Maine (see photo).

The CDC has reported 312 cases in the United States. There have been no reported cases of Zika transmitted through a mosquito bite, according to the agency.

In order for Zika to be transmitted in the United States, a mosquito would have to bite an infected person first before transmitting it to another person, health officials told NorthJersey.com.

Many cases involved people coming from people who traveled to Zika-affected countries. Six cases were transmitted sexually, according to CDC statistics.

New Jersey has had 5 cases, which is 18th highest in the country. Pennsylvania has had 11 cases, which is sixth highest. All were travel-related, according to the CDC.

According to the CDC:

These maps show CDC’s best estimate of the potential range of Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus in the United States. These maps include areas where mosquitoes are or have been previously found. Maps are not meant to represent risk for spread of disease. Aedes aegypti mosquitoes are more likely to spread viruses like Zika, dengue, chikungunya and other viruses than other types of mosquitoes such as Aedes albopictus mosquitoes.

Zika-affected countries have included: Colombia, Barbados, Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, French Guiana, Guadeloupe, Guatemala, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, Martinique, Mexico, Panama, Paraguay, Saint Martin, Suriname, Venezuela and Puerto Rico.

The Zika virus could become a problem in N.J. once the weather warms, Dina Fonseca, an entomologist and director of the Invasive and Emerging Disease Vectors Laboratory at Rutgers University, told nj.com.

Mosquito larvae start hatching in May, Fonseca told the publication, and the females should reach the stage in their reproductive cycle by July when they require a “blood meal” from a mammal.

“It all cases, it takes a mosquito that is willing to bite humans,” Fonseca told nj.com, “and most mosquitoes don’t even consider a human is something to bother with.”