Virginia traveler tests positive for Zika virus

RICHMOND, Va. (AP) -- Health officials say a Virginia resident who traveled outside the United States has tested positive for Zika, a mosquito-transmitted virus.

Health Commissioner Dr. Marissa Levine said Tuesday that the resident traveled to a country where the Zika virus transmission is ongoing. She says this person poses no risk to other residents, because it is not mosquito season in Virginia.

Health officials suspect Zika is linked to a wave of birth defects in Brazil in which babies have small heads. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is recommending that pregnant women consider postponing trips to countries and areas in the Caribbean and South America where there are Zika virus disease outbreaks.