Zika is a disease caused by a virus that is spread to people primarily through the bite of an infected Aedes species of mosquito not found in Montana.
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CDC recommendations for the Zika virus are constantly changing.
One of the pregnant women who made a decision to undergo abortion acquired the infection during the first trimester of her pregnancy.
“This case serves as a reminder that anyone traveling to Zika-affected parts of the world should be mindful of the health issues present in that region”, said Jim Murphy of the Department of Public Health and Human Services Communicable Disease Bureau.
A majority of people who contract Zika do not show symptoms, which include fever, rash, conjunctivitis, and body and head aches.
And a new case study of a stillborn baby whose Brazilian mother was infected with Zika has raised suspicion that the virus may be capable of more damage than previously thought. In two cases, the babies are okay, but two women had miscarriages, two others chose to terminate their pregnancies and one baby was born with a small head and small brain.
In the meantime, the CDC recommends that pregnant women consider postponing travel to areas where Zika transmission is ongoing. Among those who have expressed reluctance is famed USA soccer goalkeeper Hope Solo, who said Thursday she may not join her teammates in Brazil due to concerns about Zika.
Late on Friday, the Federal Drug Administration issued an emergency authorization for a new CDC laboratory test for the Zika virus that detects antibodies the body makes to fight infection. Only about 1 in 5 people infected with Zika will actually become ill and for most people, this illness will be mild with symptoms lasting less than a week.
Approximately half a million pregnant women are estimated to travel to the United States annually from the 32 (as of February 18, 2016) Zika-affected countries and US territories with active transmission of Zika virus.
The CDC also cautioned that pregnant women may be at risk for sexual transmission of Zika if they have a male partner who goes to the olympics and therefore should either use condoms the right way every time or do not have sex during their pregnancy.
Public health officials are also investigating whether the Zika virus can cause Guillain-Barré syndrome, which triggers a paralysis that is generally temporary but that can lead to death.
A growing number of worldwide athletes in recent weeks have said they are concerned about Zika, though few have said it would deter them from competing.
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The CDC has set up a voluntary registry to collect information about Zika-infected women and their babies.
