Scientists are saying that the rise in temperature caused by El Niño speeds up the life cycle of the Aedes aegypti mosquito, which carries the Zika virus and other diseases like dengue. Current areas with Zika virus outbreaks are experiencing hot temperatures and drought, per the Associated Press.

"With higher temperatures you have more mosquitoes feeding more frequently and having a greater chance of acquiring infection. And then the virus replicates faster because it's hotter, therefore the mosquitoes can transmit earlier in their life. The thermodynamics of mosquitoes are driven by temperature," said Bill Reisen,an entomologist at University of California Davis.

However, Andy Monaghan of the National Center for Atmospheric Research notes that climate change is just one of the factors in the spread of the Zika virus. Monaghan, who works on public health impacts of climate change, adds that the Aedes mosquito has a tendency to move north towards sub-tropical states in the U.S.

"As with all mosquito-borne viruses, climate is one of many factors that influence Zika transmission. I think it is too early to say anything about the role of climate change in the ongoing Zika outbreak," Monaghan said.

The World Health Organization recently declared the Zika virus as a Public Health Emergency of International Concern. WHO Director-General Dr. Margaret Chan revealed that the increase of microcephaly and Guillain-Barré syndrome in Brazil poses a threat to the rest of the world.

Although the relationship between the Zika virus and microcephaly has not been proven by science, health experts are suspecting it to have strong links. Members of the Emergency Committee have already ordered an investigation to understand the links of the mosquito-borne disease to the two rare conditions.

The WHO has called for an improvement in the detection of Zika infections and to speed up the development of a vaccine to protect pregnant women, who are at high risk. The only stable plan for the outbreak is to decrease mosquito populations by using different types of control measures.

According to USA Today, many experts are predicting the spread of the Zika virus in the U.S. as the temperature rises. El Niño could drive the Aedes aegypti to new places, especially to those in poor districts because of sanitation, lack of mosquito protection like window screens and absence of air conditioning.

Health officials are also worried about the upcoming 2016 Summer Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro. The games are expected to attract millions of fans from different countries that could start the spread of the Zika virus worldwide.