China is among a group of countries that are likely to be a hot-bed for the Zika virus, according to research.

A group of scientists believe that 2.6 billion people living in some parts of Africa and Asia have a high chance of getting the Zika virus based on an analysis of travel, climate, and mosquito patterns in the regions.

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The study was done by a group of scientists from various institutions including the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, Oxford University, and the University of Toronto.

The findings of the study have been published in the Lancet journal.

The number of people estimated to be susceptible to the virus in Africa and Asia is subject to correction. It assumes that neither Zika has arrived in the regions nor have the residents in the region developed immunity to the virus.

This is greatly attributed to the fact that most Zika victims never get sick and even when they do, the symptoms are not easily detectable.

The researchers examined the traveling patterns of people from the listed regions as well as the environment and its conditions.

A similar virus, dengue, was used as a test model for the virus because they are spread by a similar tropical mosquito species.

The Zika virus was declared a global emergency by the World Health Organization in February after it had spread to over 70 countries worldwide.

"For countries with finite amount of resources, this may help them use those resources as efficiently as possible," said Dr. Kamran Khan, an infectious disease physician and scientist at St. Michaels Hospital in Toronto.

Zika is confirmed to have infected 56 individuals in Singapore and had also been spreading in Florida.

Tagschina, Zika virus, WHO