There is no vaccine or cure for Zika, which has been linked to microcephaly, a serious condition that can cause lifelong developmental problems. Around four thousand suspected cases of microcephaly have been reported here in Brazil.

With more than 6000 cases registered in this country alone, the virus is particularly unsafe to pregnant women, as it could cause devastating birth defects in infants.

Officials say the patient in Boston is expected to survive - and even though Americans have been diagnosed with Zika, there's no evidence that anyone got infected by a mosquito in the U.S.

Three blood samples from SC have been sent to the CDC to test for the Zika virus, according to the state Department of Health and Environmental Control.

Pregnant women have been advised not to travel to certain areas to reduce the risk of contracting the virus, including Ecuador, Guadeloupe, Guatemala, Haiti, Honduras, Martinique, Saint Martin and Mexico, among others. It provokes flu-like symptoms including a low-grade fever, headaches, joint pain and rashes.

The National Health Institute reported that Colombia now has 20,297 cases of Zika infection, including 2,116 in pregnant women.

Although the disease is mainly transmitted through mosquitoes, PHE said sexual transmission had been recorded in a "limited number of cases".

China is closely cooperating with other countries and the World Health Organization, exchanging medical information and staying briefed on the virus situation to be prepared for any risks, it said.

Colombia and Venezuela are both reporting a jump in cases of a rare, sometimes paralyzing syndrome that may be linked to the Zika virus.

Taylor explained that while mosquitoes are the main source of transmission, the virus could be passed from mother to child.

Peru has registered its first case of the Zika virus in a 17-year-old Venezuelan boy, the country's Health Minister Anibal Velasquez announced Friday.

The director of public health for the province says the woman was recently on vacation in the Caribbean when she came down with the disease.