Ecuadorean Minister of Public Health Margarita Guevara confirmed 17 cases of the Zika virus in the country on Saturday, as the mosquito-borne disease linked to birth defects is spreading across Latin America and the Caribbean.

Guevara advised women to postpone pregnancy, warning that the virus that can cause cases of microcephaly among fetuses poses a risk to women who may get pregnant before at least August.

But she said Ecuador is "controlling and working" to stop the virus spreading to pregnant women by instructing hospitals and clinics to carry out ultrasounds and prioritize suspicious cases. No pregnant woman has been infected so far, she added.