Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
First U.S. Case Of Microcephaly Related To Zika Reported In Puerto Rico
The Washington Post: Puerto Rico Reports First Zika-Related Case Of Microcephaly
Puerto Rico is reporting its first Zika-related microcephaly case amid an outbreak of the mosquito-borne virus that has hit the commonwealth harder than anywhere else in the United States. In San Juan, Health Secretary Ana Rius told reporters Friday that a fetus turned over to U.S. health officials had severe microcephaly and tested positive for Zika. Rius declined to say whether the woman involved had an abortion or miscarried. A health department statement referred to a male fetus that showed "severe microcephaly and calcifications in the brain accompanied by Zika-wide presence of the virus." (Sun, 5/13)
The New York Times: Puerto Rico Reports First Microcephaly Case Linked To Zika
A pregnant woman in Puerto Rico has become the first American whose fetus developed microcephaly because of a Zika infection acquired in the United States, the territory’s health department said on Friday. Dr. Ana Ríus, the island’s health secretary, said the fetus, which was not carried to term, had developed a shrunken skull and calcified spots in the brain, suggesting inflammation and cell death. (McNeil, 5/13)
