A mother diagnosed with the Zika virus gave birth Tuesday in a New Jersey hospital to a baby who appears to have contracted the disease, according to The New York Times.
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According to CNN, an unnamed pregnant woman visiting the United States from Honduras arrived at the Hackensack University Medical Center on Friday, where tests revealed that her almost-full-term baby had signs of “significant microcephaly”, consistent with the Zika virus.
The Zika virus is also linked to microcephaly – a developmental defect resulting in a smaller-than-normal head or brain – in newborns.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, microcephaly is a “birth defect where a baby’s head is smaller than expected when compared to babies of the same sex and age”.
Brazil has by far the most microcephaly cases linked to Zika, but health officials expect more in all the countries being hit by the virus.
“The biggest problem is an acute infection during a certain point in pregnancy. We need to more thoroughly evaluate the baby’s neurological symptoms”, Piwoz told reporters.
World Health Organization drew upon 12 studies and reports published on sexual transmission of Zika, including four studies on male-to-female transmission, one study on male-to-male transmission, and seven case reports from World Health Organization and government officials.
The mother delivered via emergency cesarean section at approximately 35 weeks, Al-Khan said. In the run-up to the Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, some athletes are speaking out about the potential threat the Zika virus poses to those competing this summer.
The CDC in February reported on nine pregnant travelers from the United States who had lab-confirmed Zika infections, with outcomes that ranged from early miscarriages to one severe microcephaly case to two healthy pregnancies.
The unidentified baby was born at Donna A. Sanzari Women’s Hospital to a woman who officials say contracted Zika internationally. The virus is carried by Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus mosquitoes – common in tropical and sub-tropical regions.
“It tells you that Zika is real”, he said. Babies born with Zika-related birth defects can’t pass it on to anyone else and it’s believed women with Zika can only infect their fetus when pregnant.
While Al-Kahn described the New Jersey case as “absolutely devastating”, he said he hopes it will serve as an “awakening call” for the United States to take strong measures to prevent Zika.
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The 31-year-old mother, who was not identified, showed no symptoms in Honduras other than a rash, FoxNews.com reported.
