Zika virus FAQ: What is it, prevention and countries affected

Zika, which the World Health Organization says is "spreading explosively" across the Americas, is transmitted by the same mosquitoes that carry other tropical viruses such as dengue and yellow fever. Global health officials are alarmed because of its potential link to brain defects in infants as well as a rare syndrome that can lead to paralysis.

Here's what you need to know about Zika:
The World Health Organization and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which is assisting Brazilian authorities in their investigation, have yet to definitively establish a connection between Zika and microcephaly. But the CDC has confirmed the presence of Zika in the bodies of two newborns with microcephaly who died and in the placentas of two women who miscarried children with microcephaly.
On Thursday, Brazil’s health minister, Claudio Maierovitch, said the country is investigating 12 confirmed deaths of babies born with microcephaly for potential linkage with Zika virus infection. The country has more than 4,000 suspected cases of microcephaly.  He said pregnant women who tested positive for Zika virus have had rash and fever during the first and second trimesters.

How is the virus transmitted?
When a mosquito bites an infected person and then bites someone else. It cannot be transmitted from person to person.

What can I do to reduce my risk of becoming infected or sick?
The CDC has warned pregnant women to try to avoid traveling to certain countries. Its initial list contained 14 countries, but the CDC  added eight more — in South America, the Caribbean and Polynesia — as places where the reach of the virus is growing.
According to the CDC guidance: Zika virus can be spread from a pregnant woman to her unborn baby. There have been reports of a serious birth defect of the brain called microcephaly and other poor pregnancy outcomes in babies of mothers who were infected with Zika virus while pregnant. Knowledge of the link between Zika and these outcomes is evolving, but until more is known, CDC recommends special precautions for the following groups: Women who are pregnant (in any trimester): Consider postponing travel to any area where Zika virus transmission is ongoing. If you must travel to one of these areas, talk to your doctor first and strictly follow steps to prevent mosquito bites during your trip.
Women who are trying to become pregnant: Before you travel, talk to your doctor about your plans to become pregnant and the risk of Zika virus infection. Strictly follow steps to prevent mosquito bites during your trip. Specific areas where Zika virus transmission is ongoing are often difficult to determine and are likely to change over time.

As of Thursday, 28th 2016, here are the counties and territories impacted, according to the Pan American Health Organization:
Brazil, Colombia, El Salvador, French Guiana, Guatemala, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, Martinique, Mexico, Panama, Paraguay, Saint Martin, Suriname and Venezuela, as well as Puerto Rico.
On Friday, the CDC added eight more countries to the list:
Barbados, Bolivia, Ecuador, Guadeloupe, Saint Martin, Guyana, Cape Verde, and Samoa, also added are the U.S Virgin Islands and Dominican Republic.