A virus known as Zika has had a large outbreak in 23 different countries in the Americas including the United States. The disease is spread through the bite of a mosquito and causes symptoms such as rash, fever, and even birth defects in newborn babies. Statistics show every 1 in 5 people who get bit will become ill.

“These newborns have serious lesions on the brain and today from a scientific point of view it is not yet known the nerve cells that are being formed and which cells are affected,” Gubio Soares, Brazilian researcher who identified the virus, said.

Zika has been around for many years, but until recently was not causing a major problem. Currently women who are pregnant or have a chance to become pregnant who get infected with Zika, babies are likely to come out with birth defects consisting of having too small of a brain and head. Zika has also been shown to spread through sexual activity.

So far there have been 32 cases documented in the U.S. including the District of Columbia and states Arkansas, California, Florida, Hawaii, Illinois, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New Jersey, New York, Oregon, Texas, and Virginia.  There is no know cure or vaccine for the virus although some treatment can help.

The virus is especially causing a problem in Brazil, where the summer Olympics will be held this year. United States officials are asking women not to travel to countries experiencing outbreaks of the virus to prevent spreading it to the U.S.

“If the number of mosquitoes in Rio de Janeiro isn’t reduced by the time the [Olympic] games begin there will be likely be a large number of people that will be affected by the Zika virus,” Soares said.