The CDC has issued a travel alert for people traveling to regions where Zika virus transmission is ongoing, as well as special precautions for women who are pregnant or trying to become pregnant.
Zika is an emerging tropical disease transmitted to people via a specific species of mosquito. There is no existing vaccine or treatment available for the virus.
The CDC issued its warning after reports from Brazil suggested a potential link between women who were infected with Zika virus while pregnant and poor pregnancy outcomes, including microcephaly — a condition in which a baby's head is much smaller than expected. The link has yet to be confirmed, but researchers are currently studying the relationship between the virus and the birth defect.
Currently, the alert applies to people traveling to Brazil, Colombia, El Salvador, French Guiana, Guatemala, Haiti, Honduras, Martinique, Mexico, Panama, Paraguay, Puerto Rico, Suriname and Venezuela. That said, there are other countries outside Central and South America where Zika cases have been reported.
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