http://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-35478778

More on Zika and its neurological fallout:

http://www.bbc.com/news/video_and_au...lines/35566109

Zika virus worries me a lot.

My understanding is that it is endemic to tropical Africa. Probably what that means is that many/most people there get infected with it in childhood, leading to a mild and generally not life-threatening flu-like illness.

That means that they are likely to be immune to it. So, if a pregnant woman there gets re-infected her immune system will get rid of it before it can damage her foetus.

However, it has spread to many other tropical areas where people are not immune to it.

I am male but, as Lara wrote, if I was a pregnant woman there is no way that I would visit any of the places where the virus has recently arrived.

There have been outbreaks in different areas of the Pacific - French Polynesia, Tonga, Samoa recently, and one particular island in Micronesia some years ago. I noticed that Costa Rica, The Maldives, and Jamaica were added to our Govt. Smart Traveller site this week. There have been quite a number of confirmed cases in the past year here in Au and I think it is 3 recently. All of them acquired the virus overseas. 13 confirmed cases in my State since 2014. I keep spaying on the yukky spray when I go out in the mornings and evenings. It seems to keep them away even though I'd rather use something like Neem tree oil. Better safe than sorry up in this area. https://smartraveller.gov.au/bulletins/zika_virus

p.s. there was an odd story in the past couple of weeks about an Australian who tested positive and he'd been in Bali or thereabouts. Apparently he'd been bitten by a little monkey there, so in the end they weren't sure if the monkey gave him the virus or mosquitoes.

p.p.s.
There is a Dengue eradication programme (Eliminate Dengue) in place up my way. It may prove useful in beating Zika.
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2016-02-0...rogram/7136356