Exclusive - White House and states to craft Zika attack plan at summit

A sign explaining the parameters concerning the Zika virus and blood donations is seen at the American Red Cross Charles Drew Donation Center in Washington February 16, 2016. REUTERS/Gary Cameron

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The White House and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention will gather state and local officials next month to urgently craft a plan to attack the hard-to-control mosquito that spreads the Zika virus.

By June or July, federal health officials expect the first locally transmitted cases of the Zika virus in the continental United States. The virus has been linked to thousands of suspected cases of microcephaly, a rare birth defect, in Brazil.