There was one Zika-related pregnancy loss in the United States during the week ending June 30, 2016, bringing the total to six pregnancy losses and seven infants born with birth defects that may be related to maternal Zika virus infection, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The one pregnancy loss for the week occurred in 1 of the 50 states or the District of Columbia. Of the 13 adverse events so far, 12 occurred in the 50 states or D.C., and 1 occurred in a U.S. territory, the CDC reported on July 7. State- or territorial-level data are not being reported to protect the privacy of affected women and children.
For the week ending June 30, there were 33 new reports of pregnant women with any laboratory evidence of Zika virus infection in the 50 states and D.C., for a total of 320 for the year. Among U.S. territories, including Puerto Rico, there were 29 new reports, bringing the total to 279 for the territories and 599 for the entire country, the CDC said.
The figures for states, territories, and the District of Columbia reflect reporting to the U.S. Zika Pregnancy Registry; data for Puerto Rico are reported to the U.S. Zika Active Pregnancy Surveillance System.
These are not real time data and reflect only pregnancy outcomes for women with any laboratory evidence of possible Zika virus infection, although it is not known if Zika virus was the cause of the poor outcomes.
Zika-related birth defects recorded by the CDC could include microcephaly, calcium deposits in the brain indicating possible brain damage, excess fluid in the brain cavities and surrounding the brain, absent or poorly formed brain structures, abnormal eye development, or other problems resulting from brain damage that affect nerves, muscles, and bones. The pregnancy losses encompass any miscarriage, stillbirth, and termination with evidence of birth defects.