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What pregnant woman should know about Zika virus

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Health officials say a baby born in a Hawaii hospital is the first in the United States born with Zika virus.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Sunday it's also the first infant born in the country with microcephaly associated with Zika virus. It's 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.

The state Department of Health announced Friday that the baby was born recently in an Oahu hospital. The mother likely had the mosquito-borne virus while living in Brazil and her newborn acquired the infection in the womb.

Neither the baby nor the mother is infectious. Officials say there's no risk of transmission in Hawaii.

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.