Tests from donated blood indicate that the Zika virus is spreading rapidly across the island territory of Puerto Rico. The rapid rate of transmission could result in hundreds of newborns afflicted with debilitating birth defects, according to the CDC.
The CDC began screening donated blood in Puerto Rico for the Zika virus in April. Donations that test positive are discarded. In early June, more than 1 percent of all the blood donations on the island tested positive for the virus. Based on the organization's knowledge about blood donation screening and infection rates, the CDC interprets the 1 percent of Zika-positive blood tests as indication that the infection rate could be as high as 2 percent for the general population.
In a briefing to reporters, CDC Director Tom Frieden, MD, said, "In the coming months it's possible that thousands of pregnant women in Puerto Rico could become infected with Zika. This could lead to dozens or hundreds of infants being born with microcephaly in the coming year."
Birth defects associated with Zika infection include microcephaly and other fetal brain defects, abnormal eye development and nerve damage.
As of June 9 in the U.S. and the District of Columbia, three infants have been born with Zika-related birth defects and three pregnancies were lost due to miscarriages or abortions caused by birth defects linked to Zika.
To see where Zika has been reported in the U.S. as of June 17, click here.
More articles on the Zika virus:
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