by Lauren Mandel

In a historic announcement, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) issued a specific warning against traveling to certain areas of Miami. Fourteen women were diagnosed with Zika in a neighborhood just north of the popular travel destination in Florida, which means that some mosquitoes in the United States now have and can spread the virus.

But what does this mean for travelers and even residents of Miami? And most specifically, are pregnant women in the Miami area – and across the country – in danger of contracting the Zika virus?

Until recently, the CDC had only issued travel warnings for areas outside the United States, including Rio de Janeiro and a majority of the Caribbean. But Monday morning, the CDC advised pregnant women to avoid traveling to a specific area of Miami.

If you live in or must travel to this area of Miami, the CDC suggests waiting at least 8 weeks after leaving the area to try to get pregnant.

However, there are many people – including pregnant women or male partners – who live in this area of Miami. If you or someone you know think they may have been exposed to the Zika virus, it’s important to get tested right away. In addition, it’s important to protect yourself from possible infection by wearing long sleeves and pants, using air conditioning when possible, and liberally using bug spray if you’ll be exposed to mosquitoes. You can view the full list of suggestions here.

GoHealth will continue to provide updates about Zika as they become available. You can read more about the Zika virus and its origin here.