The state health department has issued a new health alertinvolving the Zika virus for three more South Texas Counties.
Kinney, Maverick and Val Verde counties along the border with Mexico have been added to 6 others where there’s now routing screening of pregnant women for Zika. Del Rio is the county seat of Val Verde.
Zika is a mosquito-borne virus which can affect babies of infected mothers. It first appeared in Cameron County last year.
It showed up again this summer in Hidalgo County.
The advisory from the Texas Department of State Health Services says expectant mothers who live in these high-risk areas should be tested for Zika three times during their pregnancy.