Zika Virus Triggers Fear In South Korea; Pregnant Women Suggested To Delay Travel To 24 Countries On Watch List For The Virus

Pregnant women in South Korea have been encouraged to delay plans to travel to 24 countries which are on the watch list for the Zika virus. Korea Times reported Monday that the virus has triggered fear among South Koreans compelling some locals to cancel their trips overseas.

Amid Zika virus concerns, Korean Air said it has exempted pregnant women from cancellation charges for flights bound to San Paulo, Brazil.

"With documents proving pregnancy, passengers are exempted from the cancellation fees due to the fear of the Zika virus in that country," a Korean Air official said.

"Koreans, especially newly-weds, rarely travel to countries in Central and South America, so there have been few cancellations," an official of Hana Tour said. "So far our company has not been hit by the virus concerns as much as MERS last year. But we worry that many people are asking us about unconfirmed information about the disease."

The Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC) said they are endorsing preventive measures to keep the virus from spreading in the country.

"So far, the possibility of the virus spreading here is low, as no case has been reported and the mosquitoes responsible for the virus have not been found," KCDC said. "But as people can contract the virus through travel, we are promoting preventative methods."

Meanwhile, the World Health Organization (WHO) has declared global public health emergency over the Zika virus spread.

"I am now declaring that the recent cluster of microcephaly and other neurological abnormalities reported in Latin America following a similar cluster in French Polynesia in 2014 constitutes a public health emergency of international concern," WHO Director General Margaret Chan said, as noted by BBC Monday.

She branded the Zika virus as an "extraordinary event" that required a coordinated answer.

According to reports, the Zika virus can spread through the bite of an infected mosquito. The damaging effects of the virus can also be passed to newborn babies whose mothers are already infected with the virus.