The CDC has issued a travel alert for pregnant women who are planning a visit to Zika virus-affected countries in the Americas. The leading national public health institute of the US says the rare virus, which is transmitted by mosquitoes, could be a threat for travelling pregnant women.

The CDC telling women to postpone their trips to 14 countries: Brazil, El Salvador, Colombia, Guatemala, French Guiana, Honduras, Panama, Haiti, Mexico, Suriname, Paraguay, Martinique, Puerto Rico and Venezuela.

Earlier, health experts found numerous cases of Zika virus in the Caribbean and Latin America. Since then, the CDC announced the health alert for pregnant women who have been planning a trip to these areas. As per the federal agency, if it is necessary for pregnant women to travel to the affected areas, they should discuss the travel with their doctor.

A report by CDC states, “There is no cure for or vaccine against the Zika virus. If a woman becomes infected while pregnant, the baby could develop microcephaly, which would cause serious birth defects such as a shrunken head and problems with brain function”.

US health officials have recently announced that the deadly virus has entered the US. A newborn took birth in Hawaii with microcephaly. It is a condition when a newborn takes birth with unusually small head. Before this, Brazil reported thousands of cases of microcephaly last year. As per Brazilian health ministry, many pregnant women in the country are giving birth to babies with the condition.

The new microcephaly linked to the Zika virus in Hawaii is the first one in the United States. Hawaii's health department released a statement where it said that the mother of infected baby was residing in Brazil in May 2015, and the newborn acquired the infection in the womb.