CDC reports 9 new cases of Zika virus in pregnant women
The World Health Organization (WHO) recently declared the Zika virus as a public health emergency of international concern.
As recently reported by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC):
In May 2015, the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) issued an alert regarding the first confirmed Zika virus infection in Brazil. The outbreak in Brazil led to reports of Guillain-Barré syndrome and pregnant women giving birth to babies with birth defects and poor pregnancy outcomes.
Health officials from the CDC have confirmed that there are 9 new cases of Zika virus in pregnant women in the U.S. They are also investigating 10 more cases.
According to the CDC, five of the nine babies affected have either miscarried or displayed birth defects.
“We did not expect to see these brain abnormalities in this small case series of U.S. pregnant travelers,” said Dr. Denise Jamieson, who is leading the CDC’s Zika fight. “It is unexpected and greater than what we would have expected.”
Brazil has seen close to 6,000 cases of microcephaly in babies. WHO says it is not yet proven that Zika is the cause of these cases, but the evidence is starting to pile up.
Other experts believe that Zika is indeed a major cause of microcephaly.
“The link between microcephaly and Zika was clarified weeks ago, and we should no longer be asking ‘if,’ ” said Dr. Peter J. Hotez, the dean of the National School of Tropical Medicine at Baylor College of Medicine. “The U.S. obstetrics community needs to prepare accordingly.”
The World Health Organization has declared the Zika virus outbreak as a global emergency, putting it in the same level of concern as Ebola. Currently, there is no vaccine, medication or treatment for the virus.
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REFERENCES:
1. “Zika-linked Condition: WHO Declares Global Emergency.” BBC News. BBC News, n.d. Web. 28 Feb. 2016.
2. “CDC Surprised by 9 U.S. Zika-Linked Pregnancies.” NBC News. N.p., n.d. Web. 29 Feb. 2016.
3. “Officials Report 9 New Cases of Zika Virus Among Pregnant Women Tested in U.S.” The New York Times. The New York Times, 26 Feb. 2016. Web. 29 Feb. 2016.
