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Revised U.S. travel alert advises pregnant women to avoid Zika areas below 2,000 meters

Xinhua, March 12, 2016 Adjust font size:

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on Friday issued a revised travel alert related to Zika, urging pregnant women not to travel to any area below 2,000 meters (6,500 feet) in countries where the mosquito-borne virus is spreading.

"CDC recently examined historical reports of the mosquito species linked to Zika and dengue virus, which is spread by the same mosquito, and found that reports of both mosquitoes and dengue were rare for locations above 6,500 feet," the U.S. agency said in a statement.

"Travelers whose itineraries are limited to areas above 6,500 feet are at minimal risk of getting Zika from a mosquito," even in countries reporting active transmission, it said.

Zika, transmitted primarily by Aedes aegypti mosquitoes, has rapidly expanded across the Americas and Caribbean.

The association between maternal Zika virus infection and birth defects known as microcephaly prompted the CDC to issue a travel alert in January that pregnant women postpone travel to areas that have reported Zika transmission. Enditem