Airlines’ Staff Opting Out of Travel to Areas Hit by Zika

Two major U.S. airlines are letting staff skip flights to areas hit by the Zika virus.

United Airlines said it is giving pregnant flight attendants the option of not flying to areas where the virus has hit the country.

“The safety of our employees is paramount and providing this option was the right thing to do under these circumstances,” said United spokesman Rahsaan Johnson, reported CNN Money.

Delta Airlines is reported to have been letting employees, flight attendants and pilots, switch flights from areas heavily affected by the virus.

“A small number of crew members have swapped trips to date,” said Delta spokesman Morgan Durrant to CNN Money.

The “microcephaly epidemic,” is reported to have affected at least 20 Brazilian states or more and the federal district.

Health officials have also warned against traveling to Latin and Central America, those areas struck by the virus.

The virus has affected pregnant women and their unborn children.

Ancenephaly is a condition in which a fetus is missing a portion of the brain, skull, or scalp. Microcephaly is defined as an abnormal smallness of the head.

Medical experts in Brazil report that more than 4,000 cases of microcephaly have occurred in the nation, and they are diagnosing 200 cases per week, as reported by Breitbart News. This condition occurs when pregnant women get infected with the virus. Their babies are affected by having an abnormally small head, a congenital condition associated with incomplete brain development, as reported by Breitbart Texas.

Pro-life groups in the United States have denounced what has become the left’s promotion of abortion as a solution to the Zita virus pandemic, reported Breitbart News.

The Brazilian Health Minister has admitted that the Zika outbreak is worse than previous reports made it appear. He says the situation is much worse because eighty percent of the people infected by the virus do not have symptoms, reported by Breitbart News.

Many airlines have also offered refunds to countries affected by the virus, reported CNN Money.

The U.S. Department of Defense was also reported to allow pregnant employees and their families to relocate to other areas.

This article has been updated with additional information.

Lana Shadwick is a writer and legal analyst for Breitbart Texas. Follow her on Twitter @LanaShadwick2