Pregnant Australian woman confirmed positive for Zika virus (10:41)

To protect women of child-bearing age in Zika-stricken countries, a vaccine will be important because the virus “is a flash infection”, disappearing from the mother’s bloodstream in days, said Dr. Anthony Fauci of the National Institutes of Health.

New details about the possible effects of the Zika virus on the fetal brain emerged Wednesday as US health officials say mosquito eradication here and overseas is key to protect pregnant women until they can develop a vaccine.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is hosting a conference call and webinar with Florida hospital workers to discuss the spread of the Zika virus.

Health authorities believe Zika could infect up to four million people in Latin America and spread worldwide.

“We’re trying to understand how exactly the mosquito’s immune response works and then how the virus overcomes that immune system to be transmitted to a human host”, said Associate Professor Kevin Myles.

Scientific efforts, including case investigations and ecological research, already are underway to close the knowledge gap on Zika, the World Health Organization reported.

The commission said the chances of the virus spreading in China were “extremely low” due to cold winter temperatures and a lack of mosquito activity, the primary avenue by which Zika is transmitted.

The CDC also is responding to state requests for help, sending, for instance, 950 Zika antibody tests to Florida this week at the request of Gov. Rick Scott – in addition to 475 tests sent last week. Zika in pregnant women, however, has been linked to microcephaly, or small brains, in their babies, which could lead to serious developmental problems.

Talbot, the infectious disease expert at Dartmouth, who also is New Hampshire’s deputy state epidemiologist, said “very active investigations” into a causal link between Zika and birth defects are underway now. During her 13th week, she came down with a high fever, muscle aches and a rash.

“Maybe they’re not always simple”, she said, “but they are effective”.