The flying animals, natural mosquito predators, can eat up to 1,000 of the disease-spreading insects in an hour. And officials in New Hempstead, New York, are installing 'bat boxes' to attract them.

Montgomerie, who was part of the delegation which presented golf's Olympic bid in 2009, also questioned the disparity between the number of men and women to have so far withdrawn.

Carly Patterson, one of the most decorated gymnasts in United States Olympic history has revealed she will be skipping the upcoming Rio de Janeiro Games due to the threat of the Zika virus.

Gold-winning Olympic skier Lindsey Vonn has admitted that she won't be going to the Summer games in Rio, Brazil this year because she's scared of contracting the Zika virus.

The woman, who has not been identified, was infected overseas before traveling to Harris County, Texas, in order to give birth - though it is not known whether she came into the country illegally.

Has the threat of Zika ruined your summer travel plans? Don't fret! FEMAIL rounds up five unaffected destinations within the U.S. – and the perfect fashion picks to pack for each place.

A dozen staff are threatening to follow sports journalist Richard Conway (pictured) who is said to have told bosses he is bowing out of the event in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

Australian golfers Jason Day and Adam Scott have slammed Olympic chiefs for questioning their integrity by accusing them of not attending the Rio games because there is no prize money.

Unlike most viruses - which cannot cross the protective placenta - a new study by the University of California suggests that Zika can. It is the first study to map out the two routes that the infection can take.

Until now, there has been no sign that mosquitoes carrying Zika have arrived in the continental US, but officials have warned that the possibility was looming.

These interactive maps show where people are being treated for the disease, how many patients are infected and which cities are most at risk.

The French 27-year-old was found to have traces of the virus in his semen after he came down with mild symptoms a few days after returning from Thailand.

Hope Solo took to Twitter to Friday to document her extensive Zika arsenal laid out on her bed – adding: 'If anyone in the village forgot to pack repellent, come and see me… #DeptofDefense #zikaproof.'

The mother had been diagnosed with the virus in May and had decided to keep the baby, a spokeswoman for the regional health authorities of Catalonia, where the baby was born, said today.

There could be 90 million infections - at least - before the current epidemic fades, according to a US-UK research team. In Latin America alone, that could mean at least 1.6 million infected pregnant women.

Scientists at Yale University have calculated only three to 37 people will bring the mosquito-borne disease back to their countries - in a worst-case scenario.

Two studies released today have identified antibodies to fight Zika. They have been hailed as some of the most precise investigations into Zika to date as the virus sweeps the world.

This freeze should remain in place until each individual unit of blood collected in the two counties can be tested, according to the US Food and Drug Administration.

Pregnant Deiseane Santiago, 22, originally from Sao Paulo in Brazil, came to Britain last November on a five-month visitor visa to spend time with 26-year-old fiance Simon Ellis (pictured).

The woman, from Rotterdam, the Netherlands, caught Zika on a trip to Suriname, which borders Brazil. The virus was found in foetal cells after she lost the baby.

Florida governor Rick Scott confirmed that all four of the state's mystery Zika cases almost certainly came from local mosquito bites. They mark the first outbreak of the infection in mainland America.

Fifty-three cases of the Zika virus have now been reported in Britain, health officials have revealed. It is thought that all of those affected by the virus had recently travelled back from abroad.

Public Health England has advised pregnant women to scrap non-essential trips to Florida, United States, after the country's first cases of the Zika virus not linked to travel have been discovered.

Australian team boss Kitty Chiller confirmed on Monday a laptop and some Zika-protective shirts were stolen during a fire evacuation on Friday when a blaze was sparked by a cigarette.

From furious protests over government corruption to the Zika epidemic, the road to Rio has been beset with problems, but locals have said visitors can expect a warm welcome.

While Zika is in the spotlight, there are other bugs and health problems that Olympic athletes and spectators should keep in mind. Here's look at what athletes and travelers can do about them.

Health officials said all 15 are within the same one-mile region of Miami, just in-land of the beach.

The 'killer' gene, that could dramatically alter the course of the Zika virus in America, shortens the life of the insects' young and should make the population crash, halting the spread of the disease.

American goalkeeper Hope Solo was heavily booed during Team USA's opening soccer match in the Rio Olympics.

Ryan Seacrest arrived in Rio de Janeiro just days ago as he is set to host Friday's Olympic opening ceremony.

Brazil should have seen thousands more babies born with shrunken skulls. But all of these cases are restricted to a northern region of the country. It suggests Zika alone may not cause birth defects.

The news means 13 babies have now been born with the condition in the United States since the Zika epidemic began last year.

The news will bring relief to health officials in Zika-infected Miami after fears the insects had grown a resistance to insecticide.

Public Health England released a statement following reports of three people in West Yorkshire being treated for the virus after returning from overseas. It said the risk to the general public is low.

The athletes who have decided to attend may be competing under the arms of Christ the Redeemer, but it’s hard to find one redeeming feature to the Olympic Games in Rio, writes KATIE HOPKINS.

Herbalists and witch doctors in Rio de Janeiro say star athletes who skipped this year's Olympic Games shouldn't have worried about contracting Zika while in Brazil.

Normally, two thirds of US citizens oppose abortions after 24 weeks. But a Harvard poll has found that 59 per cent favor abortions of Zika-infected babies at any stage of the pregnancy.

Christine Curry teaches and practices obstetrics and gynecology at the University of Miami Hospital. So far she has treated over a dozen pregnant women with Zika, with many more expected.

It is not yet clear whether they Palm Beach County resident contracted the infection from Palm Beach mosquitoes or from insects during a recent trip to Miami, Florida, where there is a Zika outbreak.

As insecticide rained down on a popular district in Miami, state health officials began to investigate Palm Beach County's first case of non-travel related Zika, Gov Rick Scott's office announced Monday.

It is the biggest one-day spike in diagnoses to date as the city struggles to control the virus. The development means there are now 21 people being treated for local transmission of the virus.

Fearing the worst during an outbreak of Zika virus, pregnant Emily was banned from travelling to the US with the rest of the family as Peter went abroad with Princess and Junior.

An Australian photographer in Rio covering the 2016 Olympic Games has become the latest robbery victim with $40,000 of camera gear stolen in a sting led by a woman.

Torrential rain and high winds became the latest misfortune to hit the Rio de Janeiro Olympics, with rowing events canceled and other athletes including cyclists forced to cope with the bad weather.

The study by the University of Southern California is the most significant step towards understanding the infection amid widespread confusion about how it inflicts life-threatening conditions in babies.

Until now scientists believed the virus would fade after three months. But this week an Italian man tested positive for Zika 188 days after he was first infected.

The star took to Twitter on Saturday after many were put off by a Snapchat story she shared earlier in which her mom Dianna Hart joked, 'Everybody down in Rio gonna get the Zika virus!'

Taekwondo star Jade, 23, today launches her bid to defend the Gold medal she won at London 2012, supported by her family including grandfather Martin Foulkes.

The billboards - paid for by the AIDS Healthcare Foundation and erected in and around Fort Lauderdale - showed a condom with the words 'Prevents Zika transmission' inside it.

The mosquito-borne infection arrived in the US last month, but has so far been restricted to a few blocks in Wynwood, a neighborhood of Miami-Dade County.