Previously, only cases of pregnant women who had Zika-related symptoms or pregnancy complications were being tallied, CDC officials said.
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Less than a half-dozen of those women have reported adverse outcomes, but most are still pregnant and it’s not yet known whether those numbers will increase over time, said Dr. Margaret Honein, chief of the CDC’s Birth Defects Branch. Even women who never had symptoms discovered they had Zika through lab tests.
The city’s count comes as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Friday that it is monitoring 279 pregnant women with likely Zika virus infections in U.S. states and territories. This new way of reporting the numbers of infected women aligns with recommendations for ongoing monitoring of pregnancies at risk for poor outcomes associated with Zika virus infection, based on scientists’ current understanding of the effects of the Zika virus during pregnancy.
President Barack Obama has criticised the United States Congress for failing to back his request for a $1.9bn (£1.25bn) fund to combat the spreading Zika virus.
The virus is spread mainly through the bite of a tropical mosquito called Aedes aegypti.
The WHO has said there is strong scientific consensus that Zika can also cause Guillain-Barre, a rare neurological syndrome that causes temporary paralysis in adults.
The decision follows reports of miscarriages and babies born with birth defects to women who had no recollection of having experienced Zika symptoms, she said.
Christ said state and county health and environmental officials will work to identify any mosquito breeding sites at or near the homes of the two Maricopa County residents.
Rubio is one of several Florida lawmakers calling for federal funding to help fight the Zika virus. In addition, there were also more than 120 women in Puerto Rico confirmed of the virus. Obama is pushing for a funding package that comes closer to the $1.1 billion Senate bill.
An alarming new report indicates that the Zika virus epidemic is getting worse in the United States..
Still, the health agency said the new system of counting is for the better.
In Los Angeles, officials are taking prevention measures against Zika after health officials warned that outbreaks could be expected in Southern California.
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“Bottom line is Congress needs to get me a bill”.
