The number of pregnant women with laboratory evidence of Zika infection increased by 209 for the week ending Oct. 6, the second-largest weekly increase so far in the United States in 2016, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Another liveborn infant with Zika-related birth defects also was reported for the week, bringing the total for the year to 23 for the 50 states and the District of Columbia. There were no new cases of Zika-related pregnancy losses reported, so the 50-state/DC total remains at five.
The CDC said that it will no longer report adverse pregnancy outcomes for the territories because Puerto Rico is not using the same “inclusion criteria to monitor brain abnormalities and other adverse pregnancy outcomes potentially related to Zika virus infection.” As of Sept. 29, there had been one liveborn infant and one pregnancy loss related to Zika reported in the U.S. territories.
Of the 209 new cases reported for the week ending Oct. 6, 41 were in the states/D.C. and 168 were in the territories. The total number of U.S. Zika cases in pregnant women for the year is 2,684: 878 in the states/D.C. and 1,806 in the territories, the CDC said.
Among all Americans, there were 29,891 cases reported as of Oct. 12: 3,936 in the states/D.C. and 25,955 in the territories. Of the territorial cases, 98% have been in Puerto Rico, the CDC reported.
Zika-related birth defects reported by the CDC could include microcephaly, calcium deposits in the brain indicating possible brain damage, excess fluid in the brain cavities and surrounding the brain, absent or poorly formed brain structures, abnormal eye development, or other problems resulting from brain damage that affect nerves, muscles, and bones. The pregnancy losses encompass any miscarriage, stillbirth, and termination with evidence of birth defects.
The pregnancy-related figures for states, territories, and D.C. reflect reporting to the U.S. Zika Pregnancy Registry; data for Puerto Rico are reported to the U.S. Zika Active Pregnancy Surveillance System.
