The Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention has added Aruba and Bonaire to its list of
countries and territories where Zika virus has been transmitted.
The Caribbean islands join about 30 other
countries in the Americas where there has been active Zika transmission.
Elsewhere in the world,
the CDC said the virus has been transmitted in American Samoa, Samoa,
Tonga and Cape Verde.
The mosquito-borne
virus, which has also been found to be sexually transmitted, is of particular
danger to pregnant women because of its possible link to birth defects in
babies. The CDC recommends pregnant women postpone travel to countries where
Zika has been actively transmitted.
As of Friday morning,
the CDC reported 82 travel-associated cases of Zika in the United States.