US Red Cross asks donors to hold off

Prospective blood donors in the US who have travelled to Zika outbreak areas have been asked to hold off for 28 days before donating.

The American Red Cross has appealed to prospective blood donors who have travelled to Zika virus outbreak areas to wait at least 28 days before donating their blood.

The "self-deferral" for blood donors should apply to those who have visited Mexico, the Caribbean, or Central or South America during the past four weeks, the Red Cross said in a statement.

The Zika outbreak, a mosquito-born illness linked to a dangerous birth defect called microcephaly, now affects more than 30 countries and territories.