CDC: 20-fold increase in Zika-associated birth defects

Editor's Note

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported March 2 that the proportion of US pregnancies with Zika-associated birth defects is approximately 20 times higher than it was before introduction of the virus into the US.

Between January 15 and September 22, 2016, the US Zika Pregnancy Registry reported  Zika-associated birth defects in about 60 per 1,000 infants. Between 2013 and 2014, the number was about 3 per 1,000.

The CDC recommends that pregnant women not travel to areas with Zika, and those with possible exposure should be tested even if they do not have symptoms.

Zika virus infection during pregnancy can cause serious brain abnormalities, but the full range of adverse outcomes is unknown ( 1).