Photo: AFP
Health authorities in the Northern Marianas say they are on high alert to make sure the zika virus does not reach the islands' shores.
The Commonwealth Healthcare Corporation said it has strengthened its response and surveillance of the virus which is transmitted through mosquitoes.
The health agency's CEO Esther Muna said health authorities are not only monitoring zika but also other prevalent diseases in the world like dengue and chikungunya.
The zika virus is linked to severe birth defects in babies in Brazil.