Two of the women who were infected in the first trimester suffered miscarriages.
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Although not proven, Zika virus infection during pregnancy has been linked to infants being born with microcephaly – abnormally small heads.
Details on the second abortion case were not released, and the CDC declined to say whether or not both the women made their decisions specifically because of Zika. Symptoms include fever, rash, joint pain and red eyes. The carrier of the Zika infection was a 61-year-old woman from the Lansing area.
According to the report, two of these cases are “laboratory-confirmed” and four more are “probable”.
The illness was spread from a man who had traveled in a Zika-affected country to his female sex partner, who had not traveled, the authority said. As of Wednesday, there have been 107 cases of Zika in 24 states and Washington, DC in people who traveled to countries where the virus is circulating, and 40 cases in Puerto Rico, the worst-hit of the U.S. island territories. Couples who are trying to get pregnant and have returned from Zika-affected areas are encouraged to consult with their health care provider.
The Zika virus – spread mainly by mosquito bites – is epidemic in Latin America and the Caribbean. Two of those babies were born healthy, while the third has severe microcephaly.
On February 5, the CDC issued an advisory on the potential sexual transmission of Zika after laboratory confirmation of the first such case in the continental United States.
The Missoula Public Health Department was notified on Thursday that a local woman has tested positive for the Zika virus.
In recent weeks, there have been rapid increases in the number of cases of Zika in places where the virus was previously reported, and there have been increases in cases of people in the US traveling to Zika-affected areas and returning with infections.
“If you or your partner are pregnant, use a condom for the duration of the pregnancy if you or your partner have traveled”, Shahab explained.
CDC director Dr. Thomas Frieden said scientists at the agency’s lab identified Zika virus in placental tissues.
CDC recommendations for the Zika virus are constantly changing.
There are rare reports of Zika virus being sexually transmitted by men.
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The virus causes mild illness or no symptoms in most people.
