Zika linked to infant’s death in Texas
The death of a newborn in the Houston area has been linked to the Zika virus, Texas public health officials said Tuesday.
The infant’s mother had traveled to Latin America during her pregnancy and was infected there by the virus, according to the Department of State Health Services. Her baby acquired the virus while in the womb and was born with microcephaly, a rare congenital condition that can cause an abnormally small head and underdeveloped brain.
Thousands of microcephaly cases have surfaced in countries wrestling with the Zika virus, most notably Brazil. And a growing body of scientific research has detailed the serious and extensive risks Zika poses to fetal development.
“Zika’s impact on unborn babies can be tragic, and our hearts are with this family,” Jon Hellerstedt, the Texas health commissioner, said in a statement. “Our central mission from the beginning has been to do everything we can to protect unborn babies from the devastating effects in Zika.”
Read more: https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/to-your-health/wp/2016/08/09/zika-linked-to-infants-death-in-texas/?hpid=hp_hp-more-top-stories_tyh-zikadeath-1150am%3Ahomepage%2Fstory