First Zika Virus Death

The first Zika-related death occurred in Harris County Hospital in Texas. A woman that had traveled to El Salvador while pregnant recently gave birth to a baby diagnosed with microcephaly caused by the Zika virus a few weeks ago. She never experienced any symptoms and didn’t realize she had contracted the virus until her child was born with the birth defect, demonstrating how this virus that can go unnoticed until it affects a newborn can be. This is the first infant to die from the virus-induced birth defects.

Officials warn that we can expect to see many more Zika-related infant deaths as well as stillbirths in the near future. Efforts to combat the spread of the disease have been stepped up in response to the recent death. Seven women have already lost pregnancies due to the Zika virus in the United States, and you can bet that number is also going to go up. With local transmission finally occurring in Florida, things aren’t looking too good for Americans at the moment. It seems we won’t get off too lightly when it comes to this virus after all.

What are your predictions for the spread of the Zika virus in the U.S.?