The Zika virus has been confirmed to cause a rare birth defect called microcephaly and other severe problems of the brain, according to a new report from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Health officials across the globe have suspected for months a link between the virus and the birth defect, characterized by an abnormally small head and brain. Officials said today the evidence is overwhelming that exposure to virus in utero causes the birth defect.

CDC Director Dr. Tom Frieden called the news a “turning point” in a fight against the virus that has continued to spread throughout the Americas.

“It is now clear that the virus causes microcephaly,” Frieden said. “We’ve now confirmed what mounting evidence has suggested, affirming our early guidance to pregnant women and their partners to take steps to avoid Zika infection and to health care professionals who are talking to patients every day. We are working to do everything possible to protect the American public.” read more here

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