The number of new cases of pregnant women with laboratory evidence of Zika infection in the 50 states and the District of Columbia took a big jump during the week ending Aug. 18, 2016, while U.S. territories continued the strong increase that started the previous week, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
There were 55 new cases of Zika virus infection among pregnant women in the 50 states and D.C. reported the week ending Aug. 18. The number of new cases had been dropping, with 19 new cases the week of Aug. 11, 31 the week ending Aug. 4, and 46 the week ending July 28.
The territories had 121 new cases in the week ending Aug. 18, for a total of 176 new U.S. cases. For the year, there have been 1,396 cases of Zika in pregnant women in the United States: 584 in the states/D.C. and 812 in the territories, the CDC reported on Aug. 25. Among all Americans, there have been 11,528 cases of Zika virus in 2015-2016: 2,517 in the states/D.C. and 9,011 in the territories, of which 8,788 have occurred in Puerto Rico.
There were no new cases of Zika-related poor outcomes reported during the week ending Aug. 18, so the numbers of live-born infants who were born with birth defects remained at 16 in the states/D.C. and 1 in the territories, and pregnancy losses with birth defects held at five in the states/D.C. and one in the territories, the CDC said. State- or territorial-level data are not being reported to protect the privacy of affected women and children.
The 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.
Zika virus–related birth defects recorded 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.
