The number of Zika virus cases continue to rise, with 177 more pregnant women showing laboratory evidence of infection in the United States for the week ending Sept. 29, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The week also included a report of another live-born infant with Zika-related birth defects, bringing the U.S. total to 23 for the year: 22 in the 50 states and District of Columbia and 1 in the territories, the CDC reported Oct. 6. There also have been six Zika-related pregnancy losses reported so far in the states and territories, a number that has not changed since early August.
The total number of pregnant women with Zika infection is 2,475 for the year: 837 in the states/D.C. and 1,638 in the territories. Of the 177 cases reported for the week ending Sept. 29, 29 were from the states/D.C. and 148 were from the territories.
There have been 28,019 cases of Zika reported among all Americans as of Oct. 5, with the majority (86%) coming from the territories and the majority of those cases (98%) coming from Puerto Rico, according to an update from the CDC’s Arboviral Disease Branch.
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.
