Obstetricians advised to ask about travel to areas with Zika virus

The new guidelines urge doctors to ask their pregnantpatients about their travel history to areas with Zika virustransmission.

• Pregnant women should consult doctors on travel: Brazil's health ministry
• Pregnant women in Canada, U.S., urged to postpone travel to Zika-hit countries

Pregnant women who had noclinical symptoms associated with the infection should be offered an ultrasound to check the fetus' headsize or check for calcium, two signs of microcephaly.

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.

The World Health Organization provides an updated list of countries in Latin America and the Caribbean where infection with Zika is a risk.