The Department of Foreign Affairs has issued a warning to pregnant women about travelling to Florida.
The Zika virus has been linked to Microcephaly, a birth defect in which children are born with a small head.
“There is currently an outbreak of Zika Virus (a dengue-like mosquito-borne disease) in Central and South America and the Caribbean. In light of cases of locally transmitted Zika virus confirmed in areas of Florida, our travel advice for Florida is the same as for travel to any affected area: women who are pregnant or who are trying to become pregnant should consider postponing their travel. Irish Citizens are advised to follow guidance available on the website of the Health Protection Surveillance Centre (HPSC) at http://www.hpsc.ie/A-Z/Vectorborne/Zika/.”
According to the latest data from the US Center for Disease Control, 307 travel-associated cases of the Zika virus were reported in Florida, representing 19% of total cases in the USA. In total, 1,658 Zika infections have been reported to the CDC from across the country.
(Photo: Center for Disease Control)
