US issues travel advisory to Latin America on Zika virus

New York

FEDERAL health officials last Friday advised pregnant women to postpone travelling to 13 Latin American or Caribbean countries and Puerto Rico where mosquitoes are spreading the Zika virus, which has been linked to brain damage in babies.

Women considering becoming pregnant were advised to consult doctors before travelling to countries with Zika cases, and all travellers were urged to avoid mosquito bites, as were residents of Puerto Rico and the United States Virgin Islands.

"We believe this is a f…