More than 3,100 pregnant women in Colombia have Zika virus: government

BOGOTA (Reuters) - More than 3,100 pregnant Colombian women are infected with the mosquito-borne Zika virus, President Juan Manuel Santos said on Saturday, as the disease continues its rapid spread across the Americas.

The virus has been linked to the devastating birth defect microcephaly, which prevents fetus' brains from developing properly. There is no vaccine or treatment.

More on the Zika virus and attempts to eradicate it:

There are so far no recorded cases of Zika-linked microcephaly in Colombia, Santos said.

There are 25,645 people infected with the disease in Colombia, Santos said during a TV broadcast with health officials, among them 3,177 pregnant women.

(Reporting by Julia Symmes Cobb; Editing by Nick Zieminski)

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