The total number of pregnant women in the United States and its territories with laboratory evidence of Zika infection rose by 142 for the week ending Oct. 13 – the smallest increase since early September, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
There were 121 new cases of Zika virus infection in pregnant women reported in the U.S. territories and 21 new cases in the states and the District of Columbia, bringing the corresponding totals for the year to 1,927 cases in the territories and 899 in the states/D.C. – a total of 2,826 pregnant women with Zika in the United States, the CDC reported Oct. 20.
The Zika caseload among all Americans was 31,418 as of Oct. 19. An additional 80 cases reported from Oct. 14 through Oct. 19 brought the state/D.C. total to 4,016, and 1,447 new cases for the week brings the territorial total to 27,402 for 2015-2016, the CDC reported.
Zika-related birth defects reported 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.
The pregnancy-related figures for states, territories, and D.C. reflect reporting to the U.S. Zika Pregnancy Registry; data for Puerto Rico are reported to the U.S. Zika Active Pregnancy Surveillance System.