Dominican Republic confirms 10 Zika cases

This 2006 photo provided by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows a female Aedes aegypti mosquito in the process of acquiring a blood meal from a human host. (James Gathany / Centers for Disease Control and Prevention via AP)

SANTO DOMINGO, Dominican Republic - Health officials in the Dominican Republic say 10 cases of the Zika virus have been confirmed in the country.

Health Minister Altagracia Guzman said Saturday blood samples from 27 patients were sent to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and that 10 came back positive. The mosquito-borne virus has spread from Brazil throughout Central and South American and the Caribbean over the last year.

Brazilian authorities blame it for a wave of birth defects. While international experts say the link isn't yet proven, they're taking precautions.

The CDC issued a warning this month for pregnant women about travel throughout much of Latin America and the Caribbean. Dominican officials are urging women to take precautions and have launched a fumigation and cleanup drive to eradicate mosquito-breeding areas.