She is the first confirmed case with these birth defects in the Northeast, though doctors say her mother contracted the illness in her native Honduras and traveled to the United States to visit relatives before she gave birth.
Advertisement
The 31-year-old mother, who was not identified, said she developed a rash in December in the Central American nation, which has been ravaged by the virus.
Dr Abdulla Al-Khan, who practices in maternal-fetal medicine at the New Jersey hospital, provided an update on the condition of the child, telling AP that due to the brain defect the prognosis is “generally very poor”.
“I told my gynecologist that I had an allergic episode, ” she said. But U.S. health officials have said they expect to see Zika infections in Gulf Coast states such as Florida, Louisiana and Texas as mosquito season picks up. “Our high-risk team saw the baby was not doing well”.
She came to the U.S.to get treatment after she started showing signs of the virus.
So far, all the almost 600 cases of Zika infection reported in the United States have been connected to travel to outbreak areas none were locally transmitted.
“The new guidelines reflect what we have learned about Zika disease and its complications”, said Christian Lindmeier, WHO spokesman. She had some common symptoms of Zika at that time.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) officials confirmed in April of the definite link between Zika virus and microcephaly marking the first time that a mosquito-borne virus is associated with congenital brain defects.
She said some children may have brains that are so “profoundly microcephalic”, they will “not survive past infancy, because some of the deep brain structures important for basic functions, if these are affected, it will affect a child’s ability to breathe or to swallow”.
Dr Al Khan said the baby looks “completely Zika-affected”. Eleven of the total number of Zika cases were transmitted sexually. So far, 591 cases of Zika have been diagnosed in the USA, and all have been travel related.
“With warmer temperatures on their way, conditions favourable to populations of the Aedes aegypti mosquito that spreads the infection mean that areas in the southern and eastern United States are most vulnerable to transmission of the virus”.
USA health officials have concluded that Zika infections in pregnant women can cause microcephaly.
Experts note that while the disease is becoming more visible here at home, Zika is unlikely to take a direct toll on most New Jersey residents.
Piwoz said the baby is able to suck and swallow but was being evaluated by a speech and swallowing specialist to figure out if the baby can breast feed or should be bottle fed as they do with many premature babies.
Advertisement
He was laid up for two weeks with severe bodyaches, joint pain, headaches and a myriad of other symptoms.
