Revealed: How Zika passes from mother to baby in the womb - and how scientists think they could block the infection

This is how the Zika virus enters the womb. Millions of women have been warned to avoid pregnancy or take intense precautions to avoid the Zika virus. 


The infection, primarily spread by Aedes aegypti mosquitos, stunts the growth of a fetus, potentially leaving babies with brain damage and shrunken skulls. But as the epidemic has spread, scientists have been grappling to understand the exact routes Zika takes from mosquito, to mother, to unborn baby. On Monday, experts at the University of California released the first comprehensive map showing the two routes the infection can take. Unlike most viruses - which cannot cross the protective placenta - their research seems to suggest that Zika can. However, the team said they have evidence to show an older generation antibiotic could block this process.