US agency advises pregnant women not to visit Rajasthan amid Zika outbreak

New Delhi:

A US federal agency for disease control and prevention has issued an advisory cautioning pregnant women against travelling to Rajasthan citing an "unusual increase" in the number of Zika cases there and in the surrounding states. The Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has issued a level 2 health alert, stating that Zika is "endemic" in India.

"However, there is an unusual increase in the number of Zika cases in Rajasthan and surrounding states. Pregnant women should not travel to areas with risk of Zika," the advisory said.

Many people infected with Zika virus only have mild symptoms or do not get sick. However, infection during pregnancy can cause severe birth defects, it said.

The Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is a US federal agency under the Department of Health and Human Services.