Zika virus causes pregnancy concerns in South America

Worries about the spread of a mosquito borne Zika virus linked to birth defects have caused health officials to urge women in El Salvador not to get pregnant.

The vice minister of public health has said ‘we’d like to suggest to all the women of fertile age that they take steps to plan their pregnancies and avoid getting pregnant between this year and next’. In addition to this he has advised women who are already pregnant to be careful in trying to minimise their risk of getting bitten.

It is strongly suggested that if women contract the Zika virus, it can lead to ‘microcephaly’ in babies – an under developed head & brain.

Travel warnings for pregnant women have been put in place by the US centers for disease control and prevention for the following locations:

Brazil, Colombia, El Salvador, French Guiana, Guatemala, Haiti, Honduras, Martinique, Mexico, Panama, Paraguay, Suriname, Venezuela, and Puerto Rico.

Read more here:

http://news.sky.com/story/1627459/zika-virus-leads-to-two-year-pregnancy-warning

Image credit: medicaldaily.com