CDC director visits Puerto Rico, warns of Zika crisis

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP) — The director of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Tuesday that Puerto Rico is facing a Zika crisis, noting people here often don't use window screens and many insecticides used on the island are ineffective against the mosquito that carries the disease.

Visiting the U.S. territory to help boost the fight against the spreading virus, Dr. Tom Frieden said CDC officials are helping Puerto Rico find insecticides better suited for attacking the Aedes aegypti mosquito that transmits Zika and other diseases.

Researchers are trying to determine if Zika may be linked to a variety of serious outcomes for developing babies, including microcephaly, which causes babies to have unusually small heads and brain damage.

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services announced Monday that it was paying for shipments of blood products to Puerto Rico to guarantee a sufficient supply.