Health officials of the United States have issued a warning where they have suggested people avoid flying to Zika virus affected countries. The travelling warning on late Friday is especially for pregnant women or who want to become pregnant, as per the officials at the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

The travel alert targets 14 countries and territories in the Americas that are exposed to the Zika virus. Brazil is among the most badly hit American countries by the mosquito-borne virus, which has been linked to thousands of birth defects in the country.

Brazil’s Health Ministry has already reported that more babies are taking birth with microcephaly, a disorder of brain where a baby’s head is smaller than normal size. There were thousands of cases of microcephaly last year in Brazil.

The CDC officials said the alert has been issued for 14 American countries, including Brazil, El Salvador, Colombia, Guatemala, Honduras, French Guiana, Haiti, Mexico, Paraguay, Martinique, Venezuela, Panama, Puerto Rico and Suriname. As per the issued warning, pregnant women should postpone their visit to Zika virus affected countries. If it is necessary to fly to these areas, women should consult their doctors in order to avoid mosquito bites, the alert recommended.

Zika virus is a very serious problem in these 14 countries, said Dr. Lyle Petersen, director of the CDC's Division of Vector Borne Infectious Diseases. “A large percentage of the population may become infected. Because of the growing evidence that there is a link between Zika virus and microcephaly, we thought it was very important to warn people as soon as possible”, Petersen explained.

Also on Friday, Hawaii reported its first Zika virus-linked case. It has been the first case in the United States of the mosquito-borne disease. As per the Hawaii State Health Department, a baby has taken birth with microcephaly in an Oahu hospital.