You've probably heard news reports about Zika, a virus that's been spreading across South and Central America as well as the Caribbean. Zika is primarily transmitted by mosquitoes. In past outbreaks, the vast majority of people who contracted Zika didn't experience symptoms. For those with symptoms, they were relatively mild. Zika infection in a pregnant woman can cause a serious birth defect called microcephaly, as well as other severe fetal brain defects.
Zika has also been linked to neurological disorders such as Guillain-Barré syndrome in those infected, and we have learned that it can also be spread from a man to his sexual partners. We're learning more about this virus every day. As Surgeon General, my job is to make sure that you have the information you need to stay safe and healthy. So here are three things you can do to protect yourself and your families from the Zika virus:…
