Zika update: CDC advises pregnant women to postpone travel to 14 countries and territories in the Western Hemisphere

BY ELIZABETH FINE; EDITED BY ALLISON KOZICHAROW

The Zika virus that has been linked to a dramatic rise of infants born with severe and irreversible nerve damage and a small head (microcephaly) in Brazil has prompted the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on January 15 to advise pregnant women to postpone travel to the following countries: Brazil, Colombia, El Salvador, French Guiana, Guatemala, Haiti, Honduras, Martinique, Mexico, Panama, Paraguay, Suriname, Venezuela, and the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico.

Women considering pregnancy are advised to consult with their doctors before traveling to these countries, and all travelers are advised to consider precautions against mosquito bites.

You can learn more about Zika in WiRED International’s rapid response health module on Zika (http://www.wiredhealthresources.net/mod-zika.html). WiRED International has the only available interactive module on this disease. Check our homepage regularly for developments in the struggle against Zika: www.wiredinternational.org.