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A recent poll revealed that Americans don't know much about the Zika virus — a disease that many South American countries believe is a serious threat. Of the few who have some knowledge of Zika, many don't know if the mosquito-borne illness can be passed on or if it's treatable, according to a survey done by The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research.
This lack of awareness and understanding could potentially pose a problem, as Zika is slowly-but-surely prowling towards the United States. If the virus does penetrate more of the country (346 U.S. cases have already been reported to be brought in from abroad) HeathGrove found the 50 cities that would likely be most afflicted with Zika.
Using data from a recent study in the Public Library of Science (PLOS) HeathGrove considered five factors that would warrant a high risk for a Zika epidemic:
- Counties with recent local Dengue and/or Chikungunya transmission
- Potential abundance of Aedes aegypti mosquitoes (known to carry the virus) in January and July, classified as None, Low, Moderate, or High
- Estimated monthly average arrivals to the U.S. from countries on the CDC Zika travel advisory
- Population
HealthGrove then weighted all of these factors (in the order listed above) to calculate an overall "risk level" of a Zika epidemic in each city, scored out of 10. The city with the highest risk level had the score closest to 10.
When studying the results, the health site found that the biggest risk areas in the United States are in the South and Southeast—particularly Florida and its surrounding states. These warm, humid climates are ideal for mosquitoes to thrive. They also receive many visitors from South and Central America (where many countries plagued with Zika are found) due to their relative proximity.
The risk levels were rounded to the nearest hundredth place, though their ranking reflects each city's unrounded score. In the case of a true tie, the tie goes to the city with a higher population.
#50. Midland, TX
Risk level: 1.38
Mosquito level in January: None
Mosquito level in July: Low
Number of people traveling to the U.S. from Zika countries: Population: 161,290
#49. Yuma, AZ
Risk level: 1.38
Mosquito level in January: None
Mosquito level in July: Low
Number of people traveling to the U.S. from Zika countries: Population: 203,247
#48. Laredo, TX
Risk level: 1.38
Mosquito level in January: None
Mosquito level in July: Low
Number of people traveling to the U.S. from Zika countries: Population: 266,673
#47. El Paso, TX
Risk level: 1.41
Mosquito level in January: None
Mosquito level in July: Low
Number of people traveling to the U.S. from Zika countries: Population: 836,698
#46. Bakersfield, CA
Risk level: 1.42
Mosquito level in January: None
Mosquito level in July: Low
Number of people traveling to the U.S. from Zika countries: Population: 874,589
#45. Albuquerque, NM
Risk level: 1.42
Mosquito level in January: None
Mosquito level in July: Low
Number of people traveling to the U.S. from Zika countries: Population: 904,587
#44. Tucson, AZ
Risk level: 1.42
Mosquito level in January: None
Mosquito level in July: Low
Number of people traveling to the U.S. from Zika countries: Population: 1,004,516
#43. Salt Lake City, UT
Risk level: 1.43
Mosquito level in January: None
Mosquito level in July: Low
Number of people traveling to the U.S. from Zika countries: Population: 1,153,340
#42. Fresno, CA
Risk level: 1.93
Mosquito level in January: None
Mosquito level in July: Low
Number of people traveling to the U.S. from Zika countries: 10,000-500,000
Population: 965,974
#41. Las Vegas, NV
Risk level: 1.99
Mosquito level in January: None
Mosquito level in July: Low
Number of people traveling to the U.S. from Zika countries: 10,000-500,000
Population: 2,069,681
#40. Sacramento, CA
Risk level: 2
Mosquito level in January: None
Mosquito level in July: Low
Number of people traveling to the U.S. from Zika countries: 10,000-500,000
Population: 2,244,397
#39. San Antonio, TX
Risk level: 2.03
Mosquito level in January: None
Mosquito level in July: Low
Number of people traveling to the U.S. from Zika countries: 10,000-500,000
Population: 2,328,652
#38. Denver, CO
Risk level: 2.2
Mosquito level in January: None
Mosquito level in July: Low
Number of people traveling to the U.S. from Zika countries: 10,000-500,000
Population: 2,754,258
#37. San Diego, CA
Risk level: 2.4
Mosquito level in January: None
Mosquito level in July: Low
Number of people traveling to the U.S. from Zika countries: 10,000-500,000
Population: 3,263,431
#36. Phoenix, AZ
Risk level: 2.89
Mosquito level in January: None
Mosquito level in July: Low
Number of people traveling to the U.S. from Zika countries: 10,000-500,000
Population: 4,489,109
#35. Montgomery, AL
Risk level: 3.92
Mosquito level in January: None
Mosquito level in July: Moderate
Number of people traveling to the U.S. from Zika countries: Population: 373,141
#34. Huntsville, AL
Risk level: 3.94
Mosquito level in January: None
Mosquito level in July: Moderate
Number of people traveling to the U.S. from Zika countries: Population: 441,086
#33. Shreveport, LA
Risk level: 3.95
Mosquito level in January: None
Mosquito level in July: Moderate
Number of people traveling to the U.S. from Zika countries: Population: 445,142
#32. Fayetteville, AR
Risk level: 3.97
Mosquito level in January: None
Mosquito level in July: Moderate
Number of people traveling to the U.S. from Zika countries: Population: 501,653
#31. Jackson, MS
Risk level: 4
Mosquito level in January: None
Mosquito level in July: Moderate
Number of people traveling to the U.S. from Zika countries: Population: 577,564
#30. Augusta, GA
Risk level: 4
Mosquito level in January: None
Mosquito level in July: Moderate
Number of people traveling to the U.S. from Zika countries: Population: 583,632
#29. Little Rock, AR
Risk level: 4.24
Mosquito level in January: None
Mosquito level in July: Moderate
Number of people traveling to the U.S. from Zika countries: Population: 729,135
#28. Columbia, SC
Risk level: 4.36
Mosquito level in January: None
Mosquito level in July: Moderate
Number of people traveling to the U.S. from Zika countries: Population: 800,495
#27. Birmingham, AL
Risk level: 4.93
Mosquito level in January: None
Mosquito level in July: Moderate
Number of people traveling to the U.S. from Zika countries: Population: 1,143,772
#26. Raleigh, NC
Risk level: 5.09
Mosquito level in January: None
Mosquito level in July: Moderate
Number of people traveling to the U.S. from Zika countries: Population: 1,242,974
#25. Richmond, VA
Risk level: 5.12
Mosquito level in January: None
Mosquito level in July: Moderate
Number of people traveling to the U.S. from Zika countries: Population: 1,260,029
#24. Louisville, KY
Risk level: 5.13
Mosquito level in January: None
Mosquito level in July: Moderate
Number of people traveling to the U.S. from Zika countries: Population: 1,269,702
#23. Oklahoma City, OK
Risk level: 5.25
Mosquito level in January: None
Mosquito level in July: Moderate
Number of people traveling to the U.S. from Zika countries: Population: 1,336,767
#22. Memphis, TN
Risk level: 5.26
Mosquito level in January: None
Mosquito level in July: Moderate
Number of people traveling to the U.S. from Zika countries: Population: 1,343,230
#21. Nashville, TN
Risk level: 6
Mosquito level in January: None
Mosquito level in July: Moderate
Number of people traveling to the U.S. from Zika countries: Population: 1,792,649
#20. Kansas City, MO
Risk level: 6.04
Mosquito level in January: None
Mosquito level in July: Moderate
Number of people traveling to the U.S. from Zika countries: Population: 2,071,133
#19. St. Louis, MO
Risk level: 6.13
Mosquito level in January: None
Mosquito level in July: Moderate
Number of people traveling to the U.S. from Zika countries: Population: 2,806,207
#18. Dallas, TX
Risk level: 7.11
Mosquito level in January: None
Mosquito level in July: Low
Number of people traveling to the U.S. from Zika countries: 500,000-1,000,000
Population: 6,954,330
#17. Charlotte, NC
Risk level: 7.38
Mosquito level in January: None
Mosquito level in July: Moderate
Number of people traveling to the U.S. from Zika countries: 10,000-500,000
Population: 2,380,314
#16. Washington, D.C.
Risk level: 7.86
Mosquito level in January: None
Mosquito level in July: Moderate
Number of people traveling to the U.S. from Zika countries: 10,000-500,000
Population: 6,033,737
#15. Philadelphia, PA
Risk level: 7.86
Mosquito level in January: None
Mosquito level in July: Moderate
Number of people traveling to the U.S. from Zika countries: 10,000-500,000
Population: 6,052,170
#14. Los Angeles, CA
Risk level: 7.93
Mosquito level in January: None
Mosquito level in July: Low
Number of people traveling to the U.S. from Zika countries: 500,000-1,000,000
Population: 13,262,220
#13. Savannah, GA
Risk level: 7.99
Mosquito level in January: None
Mosquito level in July: High
Number of people traveling to the U.S. from Zika countries: Population: 372,708
#12. Tallahassee, FL
Risk level: 7.99
Mosquito level in January: None
Mosquito level in July: High
Number of people traveling to the U.S. from Zika countries: Population: 375,751
#11. Mobile, AL
Risk level: 8
Mosquito level in January: None
Mosquito level in July: High
Number of people traveling to the U.S. from Zika countries: Population: 415,123
#10. Charleston, SC
Risk level: 8
Mosquito level in January: None
Mosquito level in July: High
Number of people traveling to the U.S. from Zika countries: Population: 727,689
#9. New Orleans, LA
Risk level: 8.01
Mosquito level in January: None
Mosquito level in July: High
Number of people traveling to the U.S. from Zika countries: Population: 1,251,849
#8. Atlanta, GA
Risk level: 8.13
Mosquito level in January: None
Mosquito level in July: Moderate
Number of people traveling to the U.S. from Zika countries: 500,000-1,000,000
Population: 5,614,323
#7. Houston, TX
Risk level: 8.14
Mosquito level in January: None
Mosquito level in July: Moderate
Number of people traveling to the U.S. from Zika countries: 500,000-1,000,000
Population: 6,490,180
#6. Jacksonville, FL
Risk level: 8.38
Mosquito level in January: Low
Mosquito level in July: High
Number of people traveling to the U.S. from Zika countries: Population: 1,419,127
#5. New York, NY
Risk level: 8.49
Mosquito level in January: None
Mosquito level in July: Moderate
Number of people traveling to the U.S. from Zika countries: 1,000,000-2,000,000
Population: 20,092,883
#4. Brownsville, TX
Risk level: 8.86
Mosquito level in January: Low
Mosquito level in July: Moderate
Number of people traveling to the U.S. from Zika countries: Population: 420,392
#3. Tampa, FL
Risk level: 9.14
Mosquito level in January: Low
Mosquito level in July: High
Number of people traveling to the U.S. from Zika countries: Population: 2,915,582
#2. Orlando, FL
Risk level: 9.43
Mosquito level in January: Low
Mosquito level in July: High
Number of people traveling to the U.S. from Zika countries: 500,000-1,000,000
Population: 2,321,418
#1. Miami, FL
Risk level: 10
Mosquito level in January: Moderate
Mosquito level in July: High
Number of people traveling to the U.S. from Zika countries: 1,000,000-2,000,000
Population: 5,929,819
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