2 more US infants born with Zika-related birth defects; 1,000+ pregnant women infected

Staff -

Twenty-five babies in the U.S. have been born with Zika-related birth defects, according to the CDC's most recent update, up from 23 the week prior.

The U.S. will likely encounter more Zika-affected babies in the weeks to come, as 1,005 pregnant women have lab evidence of possible Zika virus infection, the CDC reported this week, up from 953 in the update prior.

Zika can cause microcephaly and several other developmental problems in babies born to women infected with the virus while pregnant.

Some hospitals are preparing to respond to this onslaught of babies who will need support — in Miami, Jackson Memorial Hospital and the University of Miami launched a Zika response unit with pediatricians, infectious disease specialists and other experts to monitor babies affected by Zika as they age.

There are 4,128 Zika infections total in the U.S. states, 139 of which were acquired locally by mosquitoes in Florida, the only state with active Zika transmission via the insects. Thirty-four of the cases were sexually transmitted.

 

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