The World Health Organization projects that the Zika virus will spread across the Americas, sparing only Canada and Chile. The virus, the symptoms of which include fever, rash, joint pain and red eyes lasting anywhere from a couple of days to a week, is carried in the Aedes mosquito, which is not found in those two lucky countries. Though the virus is unpleasant to anyone who contracts it, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention especially warned pregnant women to postpone travel to Central and South America because the virus has been linked to a rise in microcephaly, a neurological condition that can cause abnormally small heads and serious developmental delays in newborn babies. The CDC also recommends that any pregnant women who have recently traveled to these countries be tested and monitored for the virus. There is no known treatment for the virus and the only preventative measures are to generously apply bug repellent and cover exposed skin. Health officials in the U.K. have reported three cases of infected British citizens.
