Zika Warning: Pregnant? Don't Go to Brazil for the Olympics

If you're pregnant and thinking of going to Rio de Janiero for the Olympics or the Paralympic Games, the Oregon Health Authority has some simple advice: Don't Go.

The risk of Zika virus is just too much.

Health officials say all travelers should take precautions but particularly pregnant women.

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"Pregnant women should not go to any Zika-affected area because of the potential for serious effects on their babies," said Suzanne Zane, maternal and child health epidemiologist in the OHA Public Health Division. Zika can cause birth defects including microcephaly, in which the brain and head of an infant are smaller than usual.

"Even women who are not trying to get pregnant should protect themselves from Zika during travel because half of pregnancies are unplanned," Zane said.

Zika is spreading in Brazil and throughout Latin America, the Caribbean and parts of the South Pacific. Mosquitos known to carry Zika live in the U.S., but not yet in Oregon. It is unknown if the types of mosquito found in Oregon could spread Zika.

Helpful links:

-- OHA Zika virus updates: http://www.healthoregon.org/zika

-- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Zika virus page: http://www.cdc.gov/zika/

-- CDC information for specific groups: http://www.cdc.gov/zika/specific-groups.html

-- CDC Zika travel information: http://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel/page/zika-travel-information