Zika alert: Taiwan warns pregnant women NOT to travel to Thailand

Taiwan has warned pregnant women to avoid traveling to Thailand due to fears over the Zika virus.

The Taiwan Centers for Disease Control (CDC) issued the second-highest travel advisory yesterday, warning pregnant women to postpone travel to Thailand, and advising other travelers to avoid mosquito bites by taking measures such as wearing light-colored clothing, wearing long sleeves and long pants, and using mosquito repellent.

Taiwan also said travelers returning from Thailand should use condoms for at least a month to prevent transmission of the virus.

The World Health Organization declared Zika an international public health emergency after it was linked to thousands of birth defects, mostly in Latin America.

So far this year there have been two confirmed cases of Zika in Thailand.

Zika symptoms are usually mild and similar to dengue, which is transmitted by the same mosquito.

It can cause mild fever, rash and red eyes, although around 80 percent of people infected have no symptoms.

There is no vaccine or treatment for Zika, and prevention efforts focus on protecting people from mosquitoes and reducing mosquito populations.



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