Doctors to begin testing for Zika virus in Nassau County

EAST MEADOW, Long Island (WABC) -- Clinics and primary care centers across Nassau County will start testing this week for the Zika virus.

Testing is being offered to anyone who traveled to Latin or South America during last week's winter break.

The mosquito-borne virus has been linked to birth defects and miscarriages in Latin America and the Caribbean.

So far five people in New York City have tested positive for Zika and one case has been diagnosed in Suffolk County.

Long Island has one of the largest Central American populations in the United States. Many Latinos from Long Island travel home to visit their families during the winter holiday.

In the United States, about 52 people have been infected by the virus by visiting regions where the infection is endemic, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

There is no vaccine for the virus and the CDC recommends that pregnant women not travel to countries where the infection is flourishing.