Pregnant Women Shouldn't Travel To Countries With Zika Virus, CDC Says

People traveling to Central America and South America, as well as some islands in the Caribbean, should take special precautions against mosquito bites because of an outbreak of Zika virus, a previously rare disease that may be linked to serious birth defects. Pregnant women should consider avoiding the region, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention advised. The CDC on Friday issued a "Level 2" travel notice for Brazil, Colombia, El Salvador, French Guiana, Guatemala, Honduras, Martinique, Mexico, Panama, Paraguay, Suriname, Venezuela and Puerto Rico, as well as the Caribbean islands Haiti and Martinique. A Level 2 notice means that Americans should "practice enhanced precautions" while on their trip and that, in this case, pregnant women should consider not going.  Zika may be linked to microcephaly, a serious birth defect in which a baby is born with an abnormally small head and possible developmental problems. That's why the travel alert advises pregnant women to consider postponing their trip, or at least talking to their doctor about risks and taking strict measures to avoid mosquito bites. Women who are considering becoming pregnant also were advised to consult with health care providers before traveling and to follow anti-bite measures.  These steps include wearing long-sleeve shirts and pants and using insect repellants with active ingredients like DEET, picaridin, and IR3535 (which the CDC said are safe for pregnant women, nursing women an...
Source: Healthy Living - The Huffington Post - Category: Consumer Health News Source Type: news