A newly published journal says more than two billion people are currently living in parts of the world where the Zika virus can spread.
The latest research showed that mapping Zika was more complex than simply defining where the mosquito can survive.
By learning where the Zika virus could thrive, the researchers are now able to predict where else may be affected.
One of the researchers, Dr. Oliver Brady, disclosed the first maps to come out that really used the data they had for the virus, stressing that earlier maps were based on Zika virus being like dengue or chikungunya.
“We are the first to add the very precise geographic and environmental conditions data we have on Zika,” Dr. Brady told BBC.
For now, the researchers confirmed that large areas of South America are vulnerable while 2.2 billion people live in areas defined as being “at risk”.
This comes barely a week after the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention confirmed that the virus causes severe birth defects.