City officials are trying to ease the fears of New Yorkers about the Zika virus, even as they confirm that a third New Yorker has contracted the disease. NY1's Erin Billups filed the following report.

The New York City Health Department says the third person in the city diagnosed with the Zika virus is a pregnant woman.

The announcement came as the World Health Organization sounded an alarm about the mosquito-borne virus, warning that the disease was spreading explosively through the Americas and that 4 million people might become infected.

However, city officials said there is no need for New Yorkers to be worried.

"Mosquitos are not active in the winter months, so here in New York City, there's really virtually no risk of transmission of Zika," said Dr. Herminia Palacio, the city's deputy mayor for health and human services.

Most people who are infected have no symptoms. One in 5 may have a fever, rash, conjunctivitis or joint pain. However, a surge of babies born with small heads, a condition called microcephaly, in Brazil and other Latin American countries is causing panic because it is believed there might be a link to the virus.

"We haven't seen any evidence of ongoing, of transmission that's happening based on a New York City mosquito," said Health Commissioner Dr. Mary Bassett. "We do know that chikungunya and dengue are sort of similar viruses. It makes us optimistic because we also haven't seen transmission of those in our city."

The three New Yorkers who caught the virus did so in Latin America.

The virus cannot be spread person to person, only through a mosquito, and officials said that that mosquito is not found in New York. Still the officials say their surveillance for the West Nile virus is expanding to include the Zika-carrying mosquitos.

"This is out of an abundance of caution," Palacio said.

Officials are also asking doctors to screen pregnant women who have recently traveled to affected areas and immediately report those who have symptoms of the Zika virus so they can be tested.

"Travel to warm places in winter months is something that New Yorkers often look forward to doing. This might be a good winter to think about a vacation in the Catskills," Bassett said.

However, if you must  travel to the affected areas, officials say bring protection like bug spray.

Meanwhile, several airlines are offering refunds or flight changes for pregnant women as Zika virus cases rise.

JetBlue, American, Delta, Spirit, and United are among the airlines giving refunds or letting pregnant women change their trips if they booked a flight to a place with a warmer climate.

Carnival and Royal Caribbean cruise operators are also letting pregnant women reschedule their trips.

Travelers are encouraged to stay updated on the spread of the virus at the CDC's website, cdc.gov