Photo: Kimmo Taskinen/REX Shutterstock.Colombia and Ecuador have also recommended delaying pregnancy, but not for such a long period of time.
The 14 countries and territories to which this advisory applies include: Brazil, Colombia, El Salvador, French Guiana, Guatemala, Haiti, Honduras, Martinique, Mexico, Panama, Paraguay, Suriname, Venezuela, and the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico. According to Dr. Lyle R. Peters, the CDC's chief of vector-borne diseases, entire countries were placed on this list "unless there is specific evidence the virus is not occurring somewhere."
Women who are considering becoming pregnant should consult their doctors before traveling to countries on this list, and all travelers are advised to take precautions against mosquito bites.
The CDC has never before advised pregnant women against traveling to a specific region. The warning — which will likely have a significant impact upon the travel industry — appears to be the first of its kind.
The outbreak of a mosquito-borne virus called Zika has prompted Brazilian officials to warn women against getting pregnant, CNN reports.
The warning comes after a significant rise in cases of newborn microcephaly this year, with 2,400 cases in 2015 compared to 2014's 147. Microcephaly is a congenital neurological condition that presents with an abnormally small head and brain development issues. Premature death can also occur.
The disorder has been linked to Zika after mothers of affected babies reported having virus-like symptoms, including a rash, mild fever, and headaches at the beginning of their pregnancies. In November, an autopsy of an affected infant revealed the presence of the Zika virus. Six states have now declared a state of emergency.
According to Brazil's Health Ministry, the Zika outbreak has seen between half million and 1.5 million cases. The virus is transmitted by the Aedes aegypti mosquito, which is also present in small numbers in Texas, Hawaii, and Florida.
Special precautions are being made as Rio de Janeiro prepares to host the Summer Olympics next summer, including the monitoring of pregnant women. For those who are considering starting a family, however, health officials are advising safety first.
"It's a very personal decision, but at this moment of uncertainty, if families can put off their pregnancy plans, that's what we're recommending," Brazilian pediatric infectologist Angela Rocha told CNN.
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