In 2016 in the United States, 1,000 pregnant women were reportedly infected with the Zika virus, including 250 confirmed cases. Of these, 1 in 10 had a child with a brain defect.
The Zika epidemic has run out of steam, but traces of its passage are still visible in many newborns. a report US health authorities (CDC) published on April 4 shows that in 2016, one in 10 women infected during pregnancy (laboratory-confirmed infection) gave birth to children with birth defects in the United States.
“The zika virus can scare families and be devastating. He continues to be a threat to pregnant American women, recalled CDC director Anne Schuchat. With the heat and the new mosquito season on the way, prevention is more than ever necessary to protect the health of mothers and their children. Healthcare professionals can play a key role in these prevention efforts. “
A spectrum of anomalies
Last year, nearly 1,000 pregnant women in 44 states in the United States reportedly contracted Zika fever, the CDC said. For the vast majority, the contamination took place during a trip to a country affected by the epidemic outbreak. All were able to carry their pregnancies to term, and 50 of them had children with microcephaly, neuronal abnormalities, eye or hearing problems. This spectrum of congenital anomalies is today called “syndrome associated with congenital Zika virus infection”, specifies the World Health Organization on its site.
Among all these pregnant women, the authorities were able to confirm the Zika virus infection in 250 of them. About 20 had a child with exposure-related abnormalities in utero of Zika, or one in ten.
Avoid traveling in a risk area
CDC analysis confirms infection with the virus in the first trimester is the most risky period. The risk of the fetus or newborn baby developing malformations is approximately 15%. A CDC report released in early March also showed that the Zika outbreak had a 20-fold increase in babies’ risk of developing neurological complications.
For health authorities, these new data underline the importance for pregnant women to avoid risk areas, especially South America and the Caribbean, as well as the need to protect themselves during sex. In fact, the CDC reminds that the Zika virus is not transmitted only through the bite of a mosquito. The virus can persist in semen and infect the partner during unprotected sex.
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