The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announced on Monday that its Emergency Operations Center has been put on a Level 1 status, its highest level of activation, to further enhance the country's response to the Zika virus outbreak.

The new move reflects "the agency's assessment of the need for an accelerated preparedness to bring together experts to focus intently and work efficiently in anticipation of local Zika virus transmission by mosquitoes in the Continental U.S.," the CDC said in a statement.

Activated for the Zika response since Jan. 22, the center is the command center for monitoring and coordinating the emergency response to Zika, bringing together CDC scientists with expertise in arboviruses, reproductive health, and birth and developmental defects, the statement said.

Their work included developing laboratory tests to diagnose Zika; conducting studies to learn more about the possible linkages with microcephaly and a rare muscle weakness condition called Guillain Barre syndrome; surveillance for the virus in the U.S., including U.S. territories, and on-the-ground support in Puerto Rico, Brazil and Colombia.

Currently, more than 300 CDC staff are working it the center in collaboration with local, national, and international response partners to analyze, validate, and exchange information about the outbreak. Endit

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