More than 5,000 pregnant women in Colombia have Zika virus

Mosquito nets being delivered to pregnant women
(Image credit: Luis Robayo/AFP/Getty Images)

More than 5,000 pregnant women in Colombia have been infected by the Zika virus, the country's national health institute said Saturday. In the nation, 31,555 people in total have the virus, Reuters reports.

The Zika virus, which the World Health Organization has declared a public health emergency, is thought to be linked to microcephaly, a birth defect. So far there are no cases of microcephaly linked to Zika in Colombia.

The mosquito-borne virus, which has been traced back to Brazil, has spread to more than 30 countries.

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Julie Kliegman

Julie Kliegman is a freelance writer based in New York. Her work has appeared in BuzzFeed, Vox, Mental Floss, Paste, the Tampa Bay Times and PolitiFact. Her cats can do somersaults.