WASHINGTON: US President Barack Obama asked Congress on Monday for $1.8 billion of emergency funding to counter the Zika virus.

The virus, which causes severe birth defects, has spread to 26 countries, mostly in north and south Americas. But health experts warn that the virus, which is carried by a mosquito found in warm regions, can spread to other areas as well.

President Obama asked “Congress for more than $1.8 billion in emergency funding to enhance our ongoing efforts to prepare for and respond to the Zika virus, both domestically and internationally,” said a statement issued by his office.

The White House said the money it was seeking would go for mosquito control, training programmes and laboratory capacity to test for the virus.

The US Centres for Disease Control and Prevention has reported 50 laboratory-confirmed cases among US travellers from Dec 2015 to Feb 5, 2016.

“As spring and summer approach, bringing with them larger and more active mosquito populations, we must be fully prepared to mitigate and quickly address local transmission,” the White House said.

The US administration is also sending teams to Brazil, which is the worst affected by the virus, to investigate whether and how Zika might cause microcephaly, which prevents brain development among babies still in their mothers’ wombs.

Published in Dawn, February 9th, 2016