New
York City has reported its first case of a baby born with the birth
defect microcephaly related to exposure to the Zika virus, health
officials said on Friday.
New
York City Department of Health officials said the baby’s mother was
infected after traveling to an area with ongoing Zika transmission. They
declined to provide further details about the mother or child.
So
far, the city has reported 346 cases of Zika infections, all related to
travel. Of these, four have been linked to sexual transmission,
including the first case ever of a woman transmitting the virus to a
male partner.
U.S. health officials
have concluded that Zika infections in pregnant women can cause
microcephaly, a birth defect marked by small head size that can lead to
severe developmental problems in babies.
Reuters
