CDC Issues Zika Virus Travel Alert for 2 More Places

Federal health officials on Tuesday added two more destinations to its list of Zika virus-hit places, which they say pregnant women and women who are trying to become pregnant should avoid.

The Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) placed the Dominican Republic and the U.S. Virgin Islands on its growing list of areas in which the mosquito-borne illness, which has been linked to brain damage in newborns, has been spreading.

The CDC has already issued travel alerts for Barbados, Bolivia, Ecuador, Guadeloupe, St. Martin, Guyana, as well as several others. “Specific areas where Zika virus transmission is ongoing are often difficult to determine and are likely to continue to change over time,” the CDC said in a statement Tuesday.

Earlier on Tuesday, United Airlines said it would refund passengers with tickets to virus-hit areas or allow them to reschedule their trip at no cost.