There were 146 new cases of pregnant women with laboratory evidence of Zika infection reported in the United States for the week ending Nov. 3 – just about half of the 288-case increase reported the week before, according to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
For the year so far, there have been 1,057 cases of pregnant women with Zika in the states and the District of Columbia – 52 for the week ending Nov. 3 – and 2,357 cases in the territories, the CDC announced, with 94 reported in the most recent week. The total number of U.S. cases – 3,414 – is up by 4.4% over the previous week.
The CDC also reported one new infant born with Zika-related birth defects for the week ending Nov. 3, bringing the total for the year to 26 in the states/D.C. There were no new Zika-related pregnancy losses reported, so the total remains at five. State-level data are not being reported to protect the privacy of affected women and children.
The CDC is no longer reporting adverse pregnancy outcomes for the territories because Puerto Rico is not using the same “inclusion criteria to monitor brain abnormalities and other adverse pregnancy outcomes.” As of Sept. 29 – the date of the last territorial report – there had been one liveborn infant and one pregnancy loss related to Zika.
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.