by Claudia Boyd-Barrett posted in Pregnancy

Zika hasn?t been in the news too much lately, but if you?re pregnant or planning to get pregnant it should be at the top of your mind as you make vacation plans.
The mosquito-borne virus is still active in many parts of the world, even though some travelers are reportedly letting their guard down as Zika fades from the headlines.
That?s a mistake, because as we were reminded this week in a report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Zika is dangerous for unborn babies. The report found the disease has dramatically increased the prevalence of certain birth defects - including microcephaly and brain abnormalities - among babies born to infected women in the United States.
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  So before you decide where to travel, check out the CDC?s updated list of Zika hot spots. If you?re pregnant, avoid these areas. If you?re planning to get pregnant, the CDC says you should talk with your doctor before traveling to places with active Zika transmission as you may need to postpone your pregnancy plans.
And remember that Zika can be transmitted sexually by an infected person. So if you?re pregnant and your partner travels to an area with Zika, you will need to practice safe sex or abstain from sex altogether until your baby is born.
Here are the places the CDC prefers you cross off your vacation list:
? Brownsville, Texas
? South Florida (specifically, Miami-Dade county)
? Mexico
? Central America
? South America (e...