New Estimate Shows Frequency of Zika-associated Birth Defects in US

According to a new estimate published in MMWR, around 5 percent of US infants born to mothers with a confirmed or possible Zika virus infection during pregnancy had a Zika-associated brain or eye defect, and many had more than one. The study describes not only the frequency of birth defects overall but also the most commonly reported defects. Among the 6,799 births reported during the study period, 4.6 percent of infants born to women with confirmed or possible Zika virus infection during pregnancy had a Zika-associated brain or eye defect. Read more here. According to the CDC, there has not been a locally acquired case of Zika virus in a U.S. state since 2017.