Recently, two U.S. women from D.C. who contracted the Zika virus while traveling out of the country to Brazil miscarried after returning home. Federal officials have previously not associated miscarriages in American travelers with the virus. More than four dozen Zika cases have been confirmed in fourteen states and the District of Columbia. Health officials have been closely monitoring the spread of the virus and the incidence of suspected neurological complications.  The virus has also recently been tied to new worry about paralysis in adults who have contracted the virus cases, as it can be connected to some rare but serious cases of Guillain Barre syndrome, though it is still early to know with scientific proof if there is a direct cause and effect between the two.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has been tracking the virus and has issued travel alerts for Brazil and other countries such as Mexico and the Caribbean islands.  While outlining its Zika virus response plan, the Department of Homeland Security said that it will not be directing travelers who are arriving from suspected areas to undergo new screening measures. Almost 80% of people who have the virus, are unaware that they have contracted it.  Currently, the CDC is not recommending active symptom monitoring and temperature checks like they did for Ebola virus.