El Niño, global warming fueled the spread of the Zika virus, scientists say

The weather phenomenon El Niño and global warming fueled the spread of the Zika virus in South America, scientists at the University of Liverpool say. The study comes after The World Health Organization declared last month that Zika, which has been linked to birth defects and neurological complications, like microcephaly, will no longer be treated as an international emergency, but as a “significant enduring public health challenge.” As of Dec. 14, there have been a total of 4,617 Zika cases in U.S. states and 34,268 in U.S. territories, including Puerto Rico, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. As of Dec. 15, 48 countries and territories in the Americas have confirmed the transmission of Zika virus disease since 2015, according to the Pan American Health Organization. Researchers used a new epidemiological model that analyzed how climate impacts the spread of Zika by both of its major vectors, the yellow fever mosquito...