DHAKA: President Barack Obama has criticized the US legislature for failing to back his request for a $1.9bn fund to fight the spreading Zika virus.

According to Obama, the country could face ‘bigger problems’ in the future and he warned for that, BBC reports on Saturday (May 21).

His comments came as the most up-to-date figures showed that there were nearly 300 pregnant women in the US who had tested positive for Zika.

The virus is thought to cause serious birth defects. It is spread through mosquitoes and sexual contact.

It can cause microcephaly, a birth defect, marked by a small head size and can lead to developmental problems in infants.

Symptoms of Zika virus include mild fever, conjunctivitis, headache, joint pain and rashes.

BDST: 1307 HRS, May 21, 2016
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