Number of infants born with Zika-related birth defects in US continues to rise

Since the CDC's last update, one more baby was born in the U.S. with a Zika-related birth defect, bringing the total number of babies affected by Zika to 26 as of Nov. 3.

Zika can cause microcephaly and other developmental problems in babies born to women who contracted Zika while pregnant. The CDC reports there are 1,057 pregnant women in the U.S. who have laboratory evidence of Zika, up 52 from last week's update.

Researchers are working on ways to protect fetuses from the virus — a team from Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis and Vanderbilt University School of Medicine in Nashville announced this week they found a human antibody that prevented Zika from infecting fetuses in mice, for instance.

There were 4,175 total Zika cases in the U.S. as of Nov. 9, 139 of which were acquired by mosquitoes in Florida, according to the CDC. This week, voters in the Florida Keys approved a ballot measure to introduce genetically modified mosquitoes to limit the spread of the Zika virus.

Zika is also spread sexually, and the CDC reports there have been 34 sexually transmitted Zika infections in the U.S.

Copyright © 2024 Becker's Healthcare. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy. Cookie Policy. Linking and Reprinting Policy.

 

Featured Whitepapers

Featured Webinars