Zika Confirmed Microcephaly In Puerto Rico

niman · May 13, 2016

Puerto Rico on Friday announced its first Zika-related microcephaly case as concerns grow over an outbreak of the mosquito-borne virus in the U.S. territory.

Health Secretary Ana Rius said a fetus turned over by an unidentified woman to U.S. health officials had severe microcephaly and tested positive for Zika. Rius declined to say whether the woman had an abortion or miscarried, but said the microcephaly was diagnosed through a sonogram. She declined to provide other details.

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/wires/ap/article-3589282/Puerto-Rico-reports-1st-Zika-related-microcephaly-case.html#ixzz48YvUMIhE
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niman · May 13, 2016

Puerto Rico reports 1st Zika-related microcephaly case

By ASSOCIATED PRESS

PUBLISHED: 12:25 EST, 13 May 2016 | UPDATED: 12:25 EST, 13 May 2016

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP) — Puerto Rico on Friday announced its first Zika-related microcephaly case as concerns grow over an outbreak of the mosquito-borne virus in the U.S. territory.

Health Secretary Ana Rius said a fetus turned over by an unidentified woman to U.S. health officials had severe microcephaly and tested positive for Zika. Rius declined to say whether the woman had an abortion or miscarried, but said the microcephaly was diagnosed through a sonogram. She declined to provide other details.

"We were waiting for this news at some point," she said. "I want to urge any pregnant women with even the slightest concern of infection to go see a doctor."

Zika can cause severe birth defects, such as babies being born with abnormally small heads and brain damage. The World Health Organization declared Zika a global emergency in February, and the virus has spread quickly throughout the Americas.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said it conducted the laboratory test that confirmed the microcephaly diagnosis.

"This case of Zika virus disease in a pregnancy saddens and concerns us as it highlights the potential for additional cases and associated adverse pregnancy outcomes," the agency said in a statement.

Puerto Rico has counted 925 cases of Zika, including 128 pregnant women. At least 14 pregnant women infected with Zika have given birth to healthy babies. Rius said the unidentified woman who donated her fetus did not test positive for Zika or present symptoms but she clearly was infected at one point. The health secretary noted that there is only a short period when people with Zika test positive for the virus, and after that it no longer shows up.

So far, 27 people with Zika have been hospitalized in Puerto Rico, and one Zika-related death has been reported. At least five of them are believed to have developed a temporary paralysis condition known as Guillain-Barre because of Zika.

The announcement comes as Rius called for restraint over concerns about the spread of Zika in Puerto Rico, which has scared off tourists and prompted Major League Baseball to scrap a series scheduled for the end of May.

"This is creating an unnecessary chaos," she said. "If I'm telling you that there are 925 cases of more than 14,000 analyzed tests, we obviously don't have that big of a chaos that they want to pretend exists."

CDC officials did not immediately return a request for comment on Rius' statements.

The virus has been yet another blow to a debt-ridden island struggling to generate revenue amid a decade-long economic crisis that is worsening.

Rius stressed that health authorities are working with the CDC and noted that the island has a robust vigilance program.

"We are working hard to prevent this sickness," she said.

Meanwhile, Puerto Rico health authorities are trying to create a database of microcephaly cases. Dr. Miguel Valencia, a pediatrician who is working with the island's health department to fight Zika, said authorities are analyzing data from 2013 to 2015 and have found so far that there are five microcephaly cases per 10,000 births in Puerto Rico. He said the birth defect can be caused in part by women who drink or have severe diabetes.

___

Danica Coto on Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/danicacoto

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niman · May 13, 2016

PRESS RELEASE
Friday, May 13, 2016
Contacts: Neyssa García Toucet
Jillian Oliveras Maldonado
yaritza Ortíz
Arboviral PRESENTS REPORT WITH RELATED DATA ACTUAIZACIÓN
VIRUS ZIKA
San Juan, PR Secretary of Health, Ana Ríus Armendariz, unveiled the
Recent arboviral, report for the week epidemiological number 17
(22 to 28 April), in which 140 confirmed cases of Zika were added, 18 of these
being pregnant women, for a total of 925 cases. Similarly, one adds
hospitalization, being then a total of 27 related hospitalizations Zika
so far and one more case of Guillain-Barre syndrome.
According to the health minister he said, "in recent days and in collaboration with the
CDC investigate what becomes the first case of a pregnancy where the fetus
He showed severe microcephaly and calcifications in the brain accompanied by
Zika wide presence of the virus. We know that this news we were waiting
sometime. Having robust surveillance systems allowed us to detect
this case early. However, at the request of the family and honoring his
right to privacy, it will not be offering more detail than
we are taking today. "
The health minister highlighted the importance of stressing to all emergency rooms and
the medical community that any pregnant with symptoms
compatible with Zika virus like rash (rash), or muscle pain
joints and / or fever will take the samples necessary to confirm or rule
infection with Zika. Similarly, Dr. Armendariz stressed that Ríus
all pregnant women who have not developed symptoms should take them to the
screening samples sometime during the first quarter and again
in the second quarter if the first sample was negative. "If you are a woman
pregnant or think you may be pregnant and you develop symptoms, ask
your doctor to order the test. The Public Health Laboratory Department
Health has the ability to make samples, "said Ríus Armendariz.
Moreover, the executive director of the State Agency for Management
Emergency noted that "the Department of Health has an active plan
asperjación in municipalities in which we collaboration. Similarly, in
collection centers gums weekly sprayings are made on what is available
from the same. Until yesterday have collected about 1,228,946
gums. We have done a great job through the union of wills between
government, institutions, nonprofit agencies and religious groups to
carry the message of prevention to the situation of Zika. The government has the
experience handling cases such as dengue and chikungunya. On this occasion,
He has conducted concentrated work and shows with what has been done in
municipalities. But most important is that everyone should be aware in
protection, such as empty containers that hold water around their
homes and using repellent ".
Similarly, it was reported that so far Your Service Line 3-1-1 to
time has attended 1,545 calls related to breeding.
Finally, the Ministry of Health called the community to do everything
can to protect our pregnant as a task that must
all involved. Among the measures to take to prevent contagion
They found:
- Use repellent daily.
- View sleeved clothing and long pants to protect your skin from bites
mosquitoes.
- Eliminate breeding sites around your home weekly.
- Install screens on windows and doors.
- If your partner is pregnant, use condoms or abstain from sex,
this for the long pregnancy.
"The Zika is a matter of everyone, all together against Zika, we protect Puerto Rico,"
He highlighted the Ríus doctor. For more information or to obtain the weekly reports
Monitoring can access the website of the Department
Health: http://www.salud.gov.pr/. You can also find and share information
on zika in the official accounts of Facebook and Twitter PRcontraelZIKA
@PRcontraelZIKA.

http://www.salud.gov.pr/Prensa/Comunicados de Prensa/CP Zika 5 13 2016.pdf

HELEN BRANSWELL · May 13, 2016

Puerto Rico reports first case of microcephaly linked to Zika

20160229_STAT_Zika-WIC_Puerto-Rico_EPR_0

ERIKA P. RODRIGUEZ FOR STAT

Educational material about the Zika virus at a mall in San Juan.

By HELEN BRANSWELL @HelenBranswell

MAY 13, 2016

Puerto Rico has reported its first case of Zika-related microcephaly in a fetus that had a severely underdeveloped brain and brain lesions. The finding was disclosed in a press conference Friday in San Juan by Puerto Rican Health Secretary Ana Ríus Armendariz.

A statement from the department provided almost no details about the case, citing the need to protect the privacy of the family involved. But a tweet from Ríus Armendariz’s media briefing referred to it as a case of fetal loss — a miscarriage.

The fetus was tested in the laboratories of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which confirmed the presence of the Zika virus. “This case of Zika virus disease in a pregnancy saddens and concerns us as it highlights the potential for additional cases and associated adverse pregnancy outcomes,” the Atlanta-based agency said in an emailed comment.

ARTICLE CONTINUES AFTER ADVERTISEMENT

Two previous cases of Zika-related microcephaly have been detected in the United States. In one, a baby born in Hawaii had a severe form of the condition; the newborn’s mother had lived in Brazil last spring during the early part of her pregnancy. In the other, a Finnish woman living in Washington, D.C., terminated a pregnancy after finding she was carrying a fetus with microcephaly. She had traveled in Central America during her first trimester.

For Puerto Rico, this case is a first but public health authorities fear it won’t be the last. To date, 128 pregnant women on the island have been diagnosed as having contracted Zika. And eight people — with a new case reported Friday — have developed Guillain-Barré syndrome, a progressive and temporary form of paralysis. One man has died.

There have been 925 confirmed Zika infections in Puerto Rico — likely a fraction of the real total — and the CDC has estimated as many as 1 in 5 of the territory’s 3.5 millions residents will have been infected by the end of the year.

The Aedes aegypti mosquitoes that transmit the Zika virus are plentiful on the island, which has had large outbreaks of dengue fever and chikungunya in the past. The belief is that places which have experienced outbreaks of these other mosquito-spread viruses are at high risk of Zika outbreaks as well.

For months authorities have said they want to do their utmost to protect pregnant women in Puerto Rico from contracting Zika. But they have faced intractable challenges when they have tried to deliver on that goal.

The economy of the territory is in shambles. Homes, even those in affluent neighborhoods, often do not have screens on windows and doors. A pilot project to install screens on the homes of pregnant women ran into a number of hitches, including the fact that some homes have openings under the eaves to allow for better air circulation.

As well, the constant heat is a powerful deterrent to taking the types of precautions advised to prevent mosquito bites. Sleeveless tops, shorts, skirts, and sandals are more common apparel for young women than shirts with long sleeves, long pants, and closed shoes.

STAT traveled to Puerto Rico in February to report on Zika there, meeting 22 year-old Alexandra Santiago at the time. Pregnant with her second child, Santiago admitted she had owned no long-sleeved tops prior to hearing about the Zika virus and the threat it poses in pregnancy.

Even after buying some, she didn’t always wear them. “Sometimes I do, sometimes I don’t,” Santiago said. “It’s Puerto Rico.”

https://www.statnews.com/2016/05/13/puerto-rico-zika-microcephaly/

niman · May 13, 2016

Puerto Rico reports first Zika-related case of microcephaly

By Lena H. Sun May 13 at 2:47 PM

Puerto Rico is reporting its first Zika-related microcephaly case amid an outbreak of the mosquito-borne virus that has hit the commonwealth harder than anywhere else in the United States.

In San Juan, Health Secretary Ana Rius told reporters Friday that a fetus turned over to U.S. health officials had severe microcephaly and tested positive for Zika. Rius declined to say whether the woman involved had an abortion or miscarried.

A health department statement referred to a male fetus that showed "severe microcephaly and calcifications in the brain accompanied by Zika-wide presence of the virus." It said the case was detected early through "robust surveillance systems."

Get Zika news by email

We will update you when news breaks about the virus.

The White House said on Monday it was concerned the debt crisis confronting Puerto Rico could hamper its ability to deal with the potential public health crisis caused by the spread of the Zika virus, which has sickened nearly people 700 on the island. (Reuters)

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which has a branch in San Juan that is working full-time on Zika, also confirmed the finding as "the first case of Zika virus disease in a fetus in Puerto Rico."

A CDC lab did the testing and then shared the results with local health officials, who informed the attending physician and the family. An agency statement did not provide any additional details, and CDC officials declined to comment.

"This case of Zika virus disease in a pregnancy saddens and concerns us as it highlights the potential for additional cases and associated adverse pregnancy outcomes," the agency said.

Last month, the CDC definitively concluded that the virus causes severe fetal abnormalities. The most pronounced is microcephaly, a rare condition marked by an abnormally small head and a lack of brain development.

[CDC says microcephaly could be "tip of the iceberg" of brain, developmental problems]

With rising temperatures in the weeks ahead, U.S. health officials and organizations are warning about expected local outbreaks in the south and southwest.

"Sadly, this is not likely to be the last case of Zika-caused microcephaly in the United States," said Edward R.B. McCabe, chief medical officer for the March Of Dimes, in a statement. "As summer approaches, there is a very real threat that Zika virus could gain a foothold in the United States. If that happens, great numbers of pregnant women and women of childbearing age will be at risk for Zika infection."

Puerto Rico health officials are reporting 925 confirmed Zika cases, including in 128 pregnant women. Unlike the 503 cases reported in the U.S. mainland, virtually all of the island's cases involve local transmission. One person, a man in his 70s, died of complications related to his Zika infection.

U.S. health officials estimate that at least 700,000 Puerto Ricans — about 20 percent of the population — could be infected by the end of the year based on previous outbreaks of dengue and chikungunya. Both are related viral diseases.

Anthony S. Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, said this week that Puerto Rico “is on the precipice of a really serious disaster.”

With days of rain drenching the D.C. area, fears of zika-carrying mosquitoes are growing among many. The director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, Dr. Anthony Fauci, says it's only a matter of time before the U.S. experiences outbreaks. (WUSA9)

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/to-your-health/wp/2016/05/13/puerto-rico-reports-first-zika-related-case-of-microcephaly/

niman · May 13, 2016

MC FBDS Map Update

https://www.google.com/maps/d/u/0/edit?mid=1RcVTrkYW6hax_iITjKUkEcBCVeI

niman · May 13, 2016

Confirms first case of microcephaly by Zika on the Island

The Department of Health confirmed.

Rius said the information was corroborated after analysis by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) samples taken from the fetus of a pregnant woman.

Confirms first case of microcephaly in the Island

[TLMD - PR] confirm first case of microcephaly in the Island

Confirms first case of microcephaly in the Island because of Zika. (Posted 4 hours ago)

"In collaboration with the CDC investigate what becomes the first case of a pregnancy where the fetus showed severe microcephaly and calcifications in the brain accompanied by widespread presence of the virus Zika," the official said at a press conference.

Ríus also explained that already 128 pregnant women who have tested positive in tests for this virus, which most of the population just symptoms, but that has been linked to microcephaly and other congenital disorders in babies born to women you infected.

"We know that this news we were waiting at some point," said Minister of Health of Puerto Rico, who insisted that "have robust surveillance systems allowed us to detect this event early."

"However, at the request of the family and honoring their right to privacy, will not be offering further details of which are taking today," he said.

Only in the last week studied (22 to 28 April) 18 pregnant more were detected with zika throughout the island, where together has been posted so far this year 785 affected, although mild symptoms fears that are many more people who at some point have collapsed.

Of the 128 pregnant women, about 35% did not notice any symptoms, according to statistics of the Department of Health, which once again urged to exercise extreme caution.

Likewise, he called on the medical community to conduct tests to all pregnant women have symptoms consistent with Zika virus as rashes, joint or muscle pain or fever.

He also said that he should test all pregnant women, although they have not developed symptoms, both in the first trimester and second.

"If you are pregnant or think you may be pregnant and you develop symptoms, ask your doctor to order the test. The Public Health Laboratory of the Department of Health has the ability to make samples," he said, though not said the time it takes to achieve results.

Pregnant women and gynecologists of the island ensure that the results are delayed up to two months.

http://www.telemundopr.com/noticias/Confirman-primer-caso-de-microcefalia-por-Zika-en-la-Isla-379392421.html

Edited May 13, 2016 by niman

niman · May 13, 2016

First case of microcephaly by zika in Puerto Rico

Of the 128 pregnant women who tested positive to the virus, about 35% did not notice any symptoms, according to statistics of the Department of Health, which once again urged to exercise extreme caution

HEALTH | May 13, 2016

Enlarge

The result of the test in Puerto Rico can take up to two months. (COURTESY. Runrun.es)

SAN JUAN EFE

Secretary of the Department of Health of Puerto Rico, Ana Rius, said Friday detection of the first case on the island of severe microcephaly in a fetus affected by Zika virus.

Rius said the information was corroborated after analysis by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) samples taken from the fetus of a pregnant woman.

"In collaboration with the CDC investigate what becomes the first case of a pregnancy where the fetus showed severe microcephaly and calcifications in the brain accompanied by widespread presence of the virus Zika," the official said at a press conference.

Ríus also explained that already 128 pregnant women who have tested positive in tests for this virus, which most of the population just symptoms, but that has been linked to microcephaly and other congenital disorders in babies born to women you infected.

"We know that this news we were waiting at some point," said Minister of Health of Puerto Rico, who insisted that "have robust surveillance systems allowed us to detect this event early."

"However, at the request of the family and honoring their right to privacy, will not be offering further details of which are taking today," he said.

Only in the last week studied (22 to 28 April) 18 pregnant more were detected with zika throughout the island, where together has been posted so far this year 785 affected, although mild symptoms fears that are many more people who at some point have collapsed.

without symptoms

Of the 128 pregnant women, about 35% did not notice any symptoms, according to statistics of the Department of Health, which once again urged to exercise extreme caution.

Likewise, he called on the medical community to conduct tests to all pregnant women have symptoms consistent with Zika virus as rashes, joint or muscle pain or fever.

He also said that he should test all pregnant women, although they have not developed symptoms, both in the first trimester and second.

"If you are pregnant or think you may be pregnant and you develop symptoms, ask your doctor to order the test. The Public Health Laboratory of the Department of Health has the ability to make samples," he said, though not said the time it takes to achieve results.

Pregnant women and gynecologists of the island ensure that the results are delayed up to two months.

http://www.diariolasamericas.com/5051_portada-america-latina/3811507_primer-caso-de-microcefalia-por-zika-en-puerto-rico.html

niman · May 13, 2016

Zika: Puerto Rico Reports First Case of Microcephaly

Alexandra Sifferlin @acsifferlin

3:48 PM ET

The country has over 900 cases of the virus including over 100 pregnant women

Puerto Rico has reported its first case of brain defect microcephaly amid the ongoing Zika virus outbreak. The defect, which results in small heads and severe brain damage in infants, has been linked to the Zika virus in pregnant women.

Though the virus has spread rapidly in the territory due to the high prevalence of the mosquito that carries Zika, there had not been any cases of microcephaly up to this point. That was largely due, experts told TIME, to the fact that women in Puerto Rico who were infected early in pregnancy had not yet given birth. It is believed, though not confirmed, that first and second trimester are the riskiest periods for infection.

The U.S territory has over 900 confirmed cases of the virus including over 100 in pregnant women. According to the Centers for Disease Control, 20% of people in Puerto Rico are estimated to get Zika.

Microcephaly was detected in the unidentified fetus during pregnancy and the fetus was “turned over,” the Associated Press reports, to U.S. health officials where it tested positive for Zika. Officials have not released whether the woman miscarried or had an abortion. “We were waiting for this news at some point,” Health Secretary Ana Rius said, the AP reports. “I want to urge any pregnant women with even the slightest concern of infection to go see a doctor.”

Public health responders in Puerto Rico told TIME they’ve struggled with apathy toward Zika given the fact that people in Puerto Rico are used to mosquitoes giving them infections. Over 80% of people in Puerto Rico have been infected with dengue virus, a severe infection spread by the same mosquito.

“I think people are waiting for the first case of microcephaly,” says Dana Miro, the executive director of the Puerto Rico WIC program told TIME in April. “People say, ‘If I don’t see it, I won’t believe it.’”

More cases of microcephaly are possible, since the virus is confirmed to cause microcephaly. Scientists are getting closer to understanding how the virus causes the defect, as well as why some pregnant women will have babies with the defect and others will not. For more information on the virus, read our recent cover story here.

MORE: 10 Zika Facts You Need to Know Now

http://time.com/4329898/zika-puerto-rico-first-case-of-microcephaly/

niman · May 13, 2016

Puerto Rico reports 1st Zika-related microcephaly case
By DANICA COTO

25 min ago

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP) — Puerto Rico on Friday announced its first Zika-related microcephaly case as concerns grow over an outbreak of the mosquito-borne virus in the U.S. territory.

Health Secretary Ana Rius said a fetus turned over by an unidentified woman to U.S. health officials had severe microcephaly and tested positive for Zika. Rius declined to say whether the woman had an abortion or miscarried, but said the microcephaly was diagnosed through a sonogram. She declined to provide other details.

“We were waiting for this news at some point,” she said. “I want to urge any pregnant women with even the slightest concern of infection to go see a doctor.”

Zika can cause severe birth defects, such as babies being born with abnormally small heads and brain damage. The World Health Organization declared Zika a global emergency in February, and the virus has spread quickly throughout the Americas.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said it conducted the laboratory test that confirmed the microcephaly diagnosis.

“This case of Zika virus disease in a pregnancy saddens and concerns us as it highlights the potential for additional cases and associated adverse pregnancy outcomes,” the agency said in a statement.

Puerto Rico has counted 925 cases of Zika, including 128 pregnant women. At least 14 pregnant women infected with Zika have given birth to healthy babies. Rius said the unidentified woman who donated her fetus did not test positive for Zika or present symptoms but she clearly was infected at one point. The health secretary noted that there is only a short period when people with Zika test positive for the virus, and after that it no longer shows up.

So far, 27 people with Zika have been hospitalized in Puerto Rico, and one Zika-related death has been reported. At least five of them are believed to have developed a temporary paralysis condition known as Guillain-Barre because of Zika.

The announcement comes as Rius called for restraint over concerns about the spread of Zika in Puerto Rico, which has scared off tourists and prompted Major League Baseball to scrap a series scheduled for the end of May.

“This is creating an unnecessary chaos,” she said. “If I’m telling you that there are 925 cases of more than 14,000 analyzed tests, we obviously don’t have that big of a chaos that they want to pretend exists.”

CDC officials declined to comment on Rius’ statement.

The virus has been yet another blow to a debt-ridden island struggling to generate revenue amid a decade-long economic crisis that is worsening.

Rius stressed that health authorities are working with the CDC and noted that the island has a robust vigilance program.

“We are working hard to prevent this sickness,” she said.

Meanwhile, Puerto Rico health authorities are trying to create a database of microcephaly cases. Dr. Miguel Valencia, a pediatrician who is working with the island’s health department to fight Zika, said authorities are analyzing data from 2013 to 2015 and have found so far that there are five microcephaly cases per 10,000 births in Puerto Rico. He said the birth defect can be caused in part by women who drink or have severe diabetes.

U.S. President Barack Obama has requested $1.9 billion to help fight Zika, although senators are expected to approve $1.1 billion as part of an emergency funding measure.

niman · May 13, 2016

Puerto Rico reports first case of Zika-related microcephaly

By REUTERS

PUBLISHED: 16:23 EST, 13 May 2016 | UPDATED: 16:23 EST, 13 May 2016

By Daniel Bases

NEW YORK, May 13 (Reuters) - Puerto Rico's health ministry confirmed on Friday its first case of Zika-related microcephaly in a fetus, increasing concerns of the virus' spread by mosquitoes and the financially strapped U.S. commonwealth's ability to address the growing health crisis.

"This is the first case of congenital and developmental Zika in the product of a pregnancy that are detected or reported in Puerto Rico," Dr. Brenda Rivera, the island's chief epidemiologist told Reuters in a telephone interview.

U.S. health officials have concluded that Zika infections in pregnant women can cause microcephaly, a birth defect marked by small head size that can lead to severe developmental problems in babies.

The World Health Organization has said there is strong scientific consensus that Zika can also cause Guillain-Barre, a rare neurological syndrome that causes temporary paralysis in adults.

Rivera said the fetus was donated by a family that did not have any recent travel history. Details about the pregnancy were kept to a minimum at the family's request.

An ultrasound examination by a primary care physician several weeks ago detected the fetus had abnormalities. Confirmation that Zika was present in the brain tissue of the fetus came this week from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Rivera said.

"The product of this pregnancy was donated by the family to the department of health. This fetus was determined to have severe microcephaly and intracranial calcifications, which is what you tend to see with these cases," Rivera said.

Puerto Rico's social services have been severely hampered over the last few years by an increasingly dire fiscal crisis that has resulted in hospitals closing wards to save money and doctors emigrating to the mainland for better paying jobs.

The government, which is struggling with a 45 percent poverty rate, has said it cannot pay back all of the roughly $70 billion in debt it owes to creditors.

On Monday the White House said it was concerned the debt crisis could hamper the ability of Puerto Rico to address the potential public health crisis caused by the spread of Zika which has sickened nearly 700 people on the island.

President Barack Obama has requested $1.9 billion in funding to battle Zika on the island.

Attempts by the U.S. Congress to present and pass legislation to address Puerto Rico's financial crisis have so far failed to materialize, leading to speculation that what will eventually be needed is humanitarian aid relief rather than simply a financial fix.

Lawmakers next week could take up both the financial as well as Zika-related bills.

The connection between Zika and microcephaly first came to light last fall in Brazil, which has now confirmed more than 1,100 cases of microcephaly that it considers to be related to Zika infections in the mothers.

(Reporting By Daniel Bases; Editing by Bernard Orr)

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/wires/reuters/article-3589771/Puerto-Rico-reports-case-Zika-related-microcephaly.html#ixzz48ZhYhFZo
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JESSICA FIRGER · May 13, 2016

TECH & SCIENCE

PUERTO RICO CONFIRMS FIRST CASE OF ZIKA-RELATED MICROCEPHALY

BY JESSICA FIRGER ON 5/13/16 AT 4:27 PM

TECH & SCIENCE ZIKA VIRUS MICROCEPHALY PUBLIC HEALTH

Health officials have confirmed Puerto Rico’s first case of Zika-related microcephaly.

Speaking from San Juan, Health Secretary Ana Rius told reporters on Friday that a fetus, now in the possession of U.S. health officials, was found to have severe microcephaly and also tested positive for the virus. She would not say whether the unidentified woman had an abortion or miscarried, though Rius did inform the public that the infant’s condition was diagnosed through a sonogram. She said the woman who donated her fetus did not test positive for Zika or present symptoms.

Rius urged women who are pregnant and have even the slightest concern regarding infection to see a doctor immediately. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) conducted the testing on the male fetus, and then informed the family. "This case of Zika virus disease in a pregnancy saddens and concerns us as it highlights the potential for additional cases and associated adverse pregnancy outcomes," the CDC said in a written statement.

Until very recently, public health officials and scientists weren’t completely sure whether the mosquito-borne virus was the cause behind the rapidly increasing number of microcephaly cases. Since the current Zika outbreak first began a year and a half ago, more than 4,000 infants in Brazil have been born with microcephaly, a condition that leaves infants with abnormally small skulls and incomplete brain development. Other babies also were found to have a range of birth defects and brain scan abnormalities. Last month, the CDC confirmed the virus can cause these pregnancy complications, what clinicians and researchersnow label Zika virus congenital syndrome.

According to the Associated Press, Puerto Rico documented 925 cases of Zika, including 128 pregnant women. At least 14 pregnant women infected with the virus gave birth to healthy infants. So far, 27 people have been hospitalized for complications from the Zika virus. Some needed additional care after developing Guillain-Barré syndrome, an autoimmune condition also associated with the Zika virus.

Commenting on the Zika outbreak, Anthony S. Fauci, director the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, said this week that Puerto Rico “is on the precipice of a really serious disaster.”

http://www.newsweek.com/zika-virus-first-case-microcephaly-puerto-rico-459914

Edited May 13, 2016 by niman

niman · May 13, 2016

CDC funds Zika-risk areas as Puerto Rico reports microcephaly

Lisa Schnirring | News Editor | CIDRAP News

|

May 13, 2016

The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) today announced that $25 million in extra redirected funding is available to help states and territories fight Zika virus, as Puerto Rico announced its first microcephaly case.

The allocation is on top of $60 million in redirected Zika funding announced earlier this year that was targeted to support building lab capacity, improving surveillance, boosting mosquito control, promoting blood supply safety, and contributing data to a pregnancy registry.

In a CDC statement today, Stephen Redd, MD, its director of preparedness and response, said the extra funding will help states and territories continue implementing their Zika preparedness plans but are only a temporary fix. "Without the full amount of requested emergency supplemental funding, many activities that need to start now are being delayed or may have to be stopped within months."

Funds target Aedes mosquito areas

Today's newly announced funding is targeted to 53 states, cities, and territories that are at risk for Zika outbreaks. Support will be awarded based on geographic locations of the two Aedes mosquitoes known to spread Zika, history of mosquito-borne outbreaks, and population.

The CDC said the funding will help jurisdictions rapidly identify and investigate local Zika outbreaks, coordinate response plans, and connect families to the community services they need.

Applications for today's announced $25 million in funding is due by Jun 13, with the money dispersed over the summer and through July 2017. For the earlier funding, health department have until May 27 to apply.

In February President Obama asked Congress for $1.9 billion in emergency funding to support the Zika virus battle. Progress has been stalled, however, by demands to use unspent Ebola response money. Yesterday bipartisan members of the Senate signaled the possibility of a bill that would provide $1.1 billion.

Republican members of the House, though, said said they'll unveil a measure next week that would provide significantly less than the Senate's amount, the Associated Press (AP) reported today.

In early April, federal officials shifted $589 million, most of it Ebola money, to critical Zika activities but pushed Congress to approve Obama's full $1.9 billion request to backfill the shifted funds.

Puerto Rico's first microcephaly case

Puerto Rico's health secretary today announced the US territory's first potentially Zika-linked microcephaly case, according to a separate AP story. Ana Rius, MD, said microcephaly was found on an ultrasound, and an unidentified woman turned the fetus over to US authorities. It's not clear if the woman miscarried or ended her pregnancy.

Rius said health officials were expecting microcephaly cases and urged women with any concerns about infection to see their health providers.

According to a CDC update yesterday, of 701 Zika cases in the US territories, most of them in Puerto Rico, 65 were in pregnant women.

See also:

May 13 CDC press release

May 13 AP funding story

Apr 6 CIDRAP News story "White House to shift Ebola funds for Zika response"

May 13 AP story on Puerto Rico's microcephaly case

May 12 CDC Zika case update

http://www.cidrap.umn.edu/news-perspective/2016/05/cdc-funds-zika-risk-areas-puerto-rico-reports-microcephaly

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