DALLAS (AP) — More U.S. airlines and cruise operators are offering refunds or letting pregnant women change itineraries if they booked a trip to places dealing with an outbreak of Zika virus.
While health officials say most people exposed to the virus suffer only mild symptoms, the risk is far greater for pregnant women. Brazilian officials have linked the mosquito-borne illness to babies born with small or deformed heads.
Airlines offering some form of travel refund include United, American, Delta, JetBlue and Spirit. Cruise operators Carnival and Royal Caribbean are letting pregnant women reschedule their trips.
Zika has been detected mostly in Latin America and the Caribbean. The World Health Organization warns that the virus is likely to spread to most of the Americas.
Read Dr. Etienne's Statement on #ZikaVirus in the #Americas @WHO's #EB138 https://t.co/CILY7N3Qdm #Zika #FightAedes pic.twitter.com/nnw09wK3A8
— PAHO/WHO (@pahowho) January 28, 2016
