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While Mormon missionaries serve in countries where the Zika virus has cropped up, their church is emphasizing that they protect themselves.

The mosquito-borne virus so far is in the Americas, Somoa, American Samoa, Tonga and Cape Verde, and "it will be difficult to determine how the virus will spread over time," according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The Utah-based Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is closely monitoring the situation and has been re-emphasizing instructions on avoiding mosquito-borne viruses to its missionaries around the world.

"The best approach is prevention," LDS general authority Gregory A. Schwitzer said in a post Monday on the church's website.

Schwitzer, a physician who specialized in emergency medicine and internal medicine, is the assistant executive director of the faith's missionary department.

Among the instructions, missionaries are told to use insect repellent and to reapply it during the day. They are also told to spray their clothing with a solution that kills mosquitoes.

The virus is suspected of being linked to a rare congenital condition known as microcephaly, in which babies are born with head and brain abnormalities. In Brazil, the epicenter of the outbreak in the Americas and with a prominent Mormon proselytizing force, Zika has been linked to a surge of microcephaly cases.

"Obviously, this isn't something that's relevant to our sister missionaries," Schwitzer said. He added that "there is no evidence that non-pregnant women who acquire this infection and recover are at increased risk for this complication with subsequent pregnancies."

CDC director Tom Frieden said last week that the association between the virus and microcephaly has become stronger. So, too, has a link between Zika and Guillain-Barré syndrome, which can lead to paralysis in adults. Several South American countries have identified cases of that rare condition.

When asked whether the LDS Church would stop sending missionaries into the areas where the Zika virus is spreading, Schwitzer answered:

"We have had missionaries in areas with mosquito-borne diseases for generations and have consistently emphasized these preventative measures, which are also recommended by the Center for Disease Control. Those who follow the instructions they've been given are at a significantly lower risk of infection from Zika or any other mosquito-borne illnesses."

The Associated Press contributed to this story.

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