Three people in New York State have tested positive for Zika virus, according to the State Health Department.
In a release sent Friday, the State Health Department did not name the region the patients are in, but say all three traveled outside of the U.S. One has fully recovered and two others are recovering without complications.
Zika virus is a mosquito-borne illness that cannot be spread by casual person-to-person contact. Many people who contract the Zika virus never display any symptoms while others may present with a fever or rash. If that's the case you should contact your doctor right away.
But the dangers are serious for pregnant women as Zika virus can cause microcephaly, a birth defect where a baby's head is smaller than expected. Babies with the condition often have smaller brains that might not have developed properly.
A total of 22 destinations, most in Latin America and the Caribbean, where there have been outbreaks of the Zika virus are part of a CDC travel alert.
Eight locations added Friday are Barbados, Bolivia, Ecuador, Guadeloupe, Saint Martin and Guyana; Cape Verde, off the coast of western Africa; and Samoa in the South Pacific.
Last week's alert included Brazil, Colombia, El Salvador, French Guiana, Guatemala, Haiti, Honduras, Martinique, Mexico, Panama, Paraguay, Puerto Rico, Suriname and Venezuela.
Here's what the CDC says pregnant women should do to protect themselves:
- Consider postponing trips where virus is rampant
- If you plan to travel, avoid mosquito bites by wearing long sleeves and using bug repellent and mosquito nets
You can learn more about the virus here.
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