It is “spreading explosively,” officials say. A virus practically unheard of and affecting 24 countries, the Zika Virus is a mosquito-spread disease, driven mostly by the Aedes Mosquito. Symptoms include fever, rash, joint pain and redness of the eyes, and it is particularly harmful to unborn babies. The virus is said to cause smaller heads in newborns and neurological birth disorder, according to CNN.

“Scientists have urged the World Health Organization to take urgent action over Zika Virus, which they say has explosive pandemic potential,” said BBC News.

Other scientists debate whether the Zika Virus is worthy of global attention.

“Maybe when it’s very humid and the mosquito count is high, but other than that, only when you are traveling in a really affected area should it be a real threat,” sophomore Taylor Comer said.

The Center for Disease Control and Prevention said the affected areas are Barbados, Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, French Guiana, Guadeloupe, Guatemala, Guyana, Haití, Honduras, Martinica, México, Panamá, Paraguay, Puerto Rico, Saint Martin, Suriname, U.S. Virgin Islands and Venezuela. Other areas less susceptible to mosquito-carried diseases have less to worry about.