Pregnant women should consult doctors on travel: Brazil's health ministry

Brazil's health ministry saidon Monday pregnant women should consult their doctors beforetravelling to Brazil, but that no other travel restrictions werenecessary because of the mosquito-borne Zika virus.

The ministry said in a statement that a travel warning fromthe U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)reinforcedmeasures already adopted by the Brazilian government, such asrecommending bug spray and long sleeves to deter mosquitoes.

On Sunday, health officials said a babyborn in a Hawaii hospital is the first in the U.S. born with the Zika virus.

• Pregnant women in Canada, U.S., urged to postpone travel to Zika-hit countries
• Zika virus may be linked to birth defects in Brazil, health officials say
• B.C. resident diagnosed with Zika virus after trip to El Salvador

The U.S.Centersfor Disease Control and Prevention said Sundayit's also the first infant born in the country withmicrocephalyassociated withZikavirus.It's a birth defect where a baby's headis smaller than expected. Babies with the condition often havesmaller brains that might not have developed properly.

The mother likely had themosquito-borne virus while living in Brazil and her newborn acquiredthe infection in the womb.Neither the baby nor the mother is infectious.

Officialssaythere's no risk of transmission in Hawaii.

Last week, Canadian and U.S. health officials urgedpregnant women to consider postponing travel to countries dealing with an outbreak of Zika virus following reports of birth defects in children born to women in Brazil infected with the virus.

Dr. Lyle Petersen,director of the CDC's Division of Vector Borne InfectiousDiseases, saidhe had no idea when the travel advisory might be lifted, noting it would probably still be in effect when the summer Olympics begin in Brazil in August.