The Zika virus has been around for decades but has been gaining more attention due to the link it may have with birth deformities and some neurological symptoms.

The Zika virus, or Zika fever, has been known for some time. A few symptoms of the virus include red eyes, pain in the back of eye, joint pain, muscle pain, chills and loss of appetite. Further alleged symptoms are being studied as of now.

Some Zika virus symptoms have been known to go away by themselves in just a few short weeks. Scientists were never too pressured to find a cure for the fever. Now that there may be a link between the Zika virus and birth deformities, scientists are racing to find a cure.

“The level of concern is high, as is the level of uncertainty,” Dr. Margaret Chan, World Health Organization’s director-general, told her organization’s executive board members. “We need to get some answers quickly.”

Chan said, in areas where the virus is prominent there have been a “steep increase in the birth of babies with abnormally small heads.” In cases that involve patients with Guillain-Barre syndrome, a rare autoimmune disorder that can lead to life-threatening paralysis, small heads can cause severe developmental issues and sometimes death.

Dr. Bruce Aylward, another WHO director, stated that the link between the the virus and the birth deformities is not for certain, but there is still a legitimate reason for concern.

The Zika virus is carried on and spread via insects, most frequently mosquitoes. Most infected insects are in South America but are starting to make their way towards the U.S. WHO warns people against traveling to Central and South America.