CDC: 157 Pregnant U.S. Women Have Tested Positive For Zika
BALTIMORE (WJZ) -- The Centers for Disease Control announced Friday morning that 157 pregnant U.S. women have tested positive for the Zika virus.
This is the first time the agency had disclosed the number of Zika-infected pregnant women in the U.S.
CDC scientists say there is now enough evidence to conclude that Zika virus infection during pregnancy is a cause of microcephaly and other severe fetal brain defects.
Microcephaly is a birth defect where a baby's head is smaller than normal. Babies with microcephaly often have smaller brains that might not have developed properly.
This map, also from the CDC, shows the estimated range of the Aedus aegypti mosquito, which is more likely to spread diseases like Zika than other types of mosquitoes.
Shaded areas do not necessarily mean that there are infected mosquitoes in that area, they mean that those areas are where that type of mosquito has been found in the past.
The CDC suggests the following methods for protecting yourself and your family from mosquito bites this summer:
Wear long-sleeved shirts and pants and treat clothing with permethrin.
Eliminate standing water inside and outside your home.
Use screens on the exterior of your home to keep mosquitoes outside.
Repair and seal your septic system.
Use an EPA-registered insect repellent. www.epa.gov/insect-repellents
Work together to eliminate standing water and reduce mosquito populations.
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