New Report Lets Scientists Wrap Arms Around Scope Of Zika-Related Birth Defects
Until now, doctors hadn't been able to pin down the actual risk of a child being born with Zika-related birth defects, but a new study shines light on the numbers.
The New York Times:
5% Of U.S. Pregnant Women With Zika Had Baby With A Birth Defect
Five percent of pregnant women with a confirmed Zika infection in the United States territories, including Puerto Rico, went on to have a baby with a related birth defect, according to the most comprehensive report to date from federal officials. The report, published on Thursday by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, also provided for the first time preliminary estimates of this risk by trimester. Previously, there were not enough births following exposure to the Zika virus to make such estimates. (Saint Louis, 6/8)
Los Angeles Times:
Microcephaly Or Other Birth Defects Seen In 5% Of Pregnancies Affected By Zika, CDC Says
In this study, the greatest risk was seen in cases where the woman was infected during the first trimester of her pregnancy, and that infection was confirmed with a laboratory test. Among these women, 8% had a fetus or baby with a birth defect. The comparable rate for women from the 50 states was 15%, according to previous research. However, the authors of the new study noted that the number of birth defects was too small for them to be sure that the difference was real and not just a statistical fluke. (Kaplan, 6/8)
NPR:
Birth Defects In 5 Percent Of Babies Born To Zika-Infected Women In U.S. Territories
Scientists have had trouble pinning down the risk of Zika to pregnant women. Estimates of birth defects have ranged from 1 percent of pregnancies to more than 10 percent. This latest study, published Thursday in Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, provides a sharper answer. The study found that even infected women without symptoms of the disease were at risk of giving birth to babies with abnormalities. (Harris, 6/8)
The Washington Post:
Zika Risk For Birth Defects Drops For Each Trimester, CDC Finds
A new report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention lays out for the first time the risk for Zika-related birth defects for each trimester of pregnancy. Researchers have consistently highlighted the first trimester as the most dangerous for infections involving the virus, which is spread primarily by mosquitoes and sex, but the CDC's analysis provides a detailed breakdown throughout pregnancy. (Sun, 6/8)
In other Zika news —
Stat:
'Part Of The New Reality': Despite Confusion, Zika Warnings Are Here To Stay
Zika has faded from the headlines like a mosquito’s dying buzz.Puerto Rico declared its outbreak over this week. Brazil said its emergency was over in May. In the United States, summer approaches with little discussion of the virus outside public health circles.But the risk the insidious pathogen poses to a pregnancy hasn’t gone away, and public health authorities are grappling with how to get the message out to pregnant women. Despite public confusion over whether Zika remains a public health threat, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention continues to warn women who are pregnant to avoid traveling to wide swathes of Latin America and the Caribbean. (Branswell, 6/9)
USA Today:
Public Health Officials Fear Trump Budget Cuts In Fight Against Zika Virus
Spending cuts in the Trump administration's proposed budget for 2018 will hit the agencies dedicated to fighting the Zika virus as the season for the mosquito-borne illness is starting and when the demand for higher spending is needed, city and county health officials say. Members of the National Association of County and City Health Officials (NACCHO) and the March of Dimes are lobbying Congress for more funding that covers a longer period of time to combat Zika, but say they are trying to develop a bigger coalition to make their case (Covington and O'Donnell, 6/8)
Health News Florida:
New Zika Test Produces Results In Under An Hour
Florida scientists have developed a new test for Zika that would produce results in less than an hour. And the test can detect the Zika virus in the blood of humans or mosquitoes. (Ochoa, 6/8)
Orlando Sentinel:
Zika Concerns Arise After Heavy Rainstorms
Recent heavy rainstorms have renewed Zika fears in South Florida, leading to more mosquito spraying in four Broward cities. The county’s mosquito control division will spray portions of Hollywood, Fort Lauderdale, Sunrise and Lauderhill for the Aedes Aegypti mosquito, which is the variety known to carry and transmit the Zika virus. (Randle, 6/8)
