Airlines Offering Travel Accommodations For Pregnant Women Following Zika Virus Concerns
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork)-- Several airlines are offering travel accommodations for pregnant women following World Health Organization estimates that there could be 3 to 4 million cases of the Zika virus in the Americas over the next year.
Health officials said the number of U.S. residents diagnosed with Zika infections in the past year has grown to 31, but said all of them are believed to have caught the infection while traveling abroad.
Public health officials like New York City Health Commissioner Mary Bassett have been warning people about traveling to countries where the Zika virus is prevalent.
Zika is spread by mosquitoes and in most people causes no more than mild illness. But there's been mounting evidence linking Zika infection in pregnant women to a birth defect called microcephaly, in which a newborn's head is unusually small and the brain may not develop properly.
"New Yorkers who travel to countries which have Zika transmission are potentially at risk," Bassett said, as reported by 1010 WINS' Steve Kastenbaum reports.
And now airlines are offering ticket holders a break.
American Airlines is offering pregnant passengers a full refund if they're flying to certain central American cities. United airline passengers can rebook or get a refund. Lithuania and British Airways are giving any pregnant passenger and their companion the opportunity to rebook free of charge.