Two Zika Confirmed Microcephaly Live Births In California

[niman]

The California Department of Public Health (CDPH) reported today that two infants with Zika-related microcephaly have been born in California to women who had Zika virus infections during pregnancy after spending time in a country where the virus is endemic. While mosquitoes that can carry the virus have been found in 12 California counties, there is no evidence these mosquitoes are transmitting Zika in the state at this time.

“This is a sobering reminder for Californians that Zika can cause serious harm to a developing fetus,” said CDPH Director and State Health Officer Dr. Karen Smith. “We join the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in urging pregnant women to avoid travel to areas with known Zika transmission. Pregnant women who must travel to one of these areas should strictly follow steps to prevent mosquito bites and speak with a health care provider upon return.”

http://www.cdph.ca.gov/Pages/NR16-47.aspx

Edited August 4, 2016 by niman

[niman]

CDPH Reports Two Cases of Zika-Related Birth Defects in California 

Date: 8/4/2016 

Number: 16-47 

Contact: Ali Bay - (916)440-7259 

SACRAMENTO 

 

The California Department of Public Health (CDPH) reported today that two infants with Zika-related microcephaly have been born in California to women who had Zika virus infections during pregnancy after spending time in a country where the virus is endemic. While mosquitoes that can carry the virus have been found in 12 California counties, there is no evidence these mosquitoes are transmitting Zika in the state at this time.

“This is a sobering reminder for Californians that Zika can cause serious harm to a developing fetus,” said CDPH Director and State Health Officer Dr. Karen Smith. “We join the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in urging pregnant women to avoid travel to areas with known Zika transmission. Pregnant women who must travel to one of these areas should strictly follow steps to prevent mosquito bites and speak with a health care provider upon return.”

“Zika virus can also be transmitted to sexual partners by both males and females. Both men and women of childbearing age should take precautions if they have recently traveled, or plan to travel, to a location where Zika is spreading,” added Dr. Smith.

A team of experts across several disciplines at CDPH is working closely with local public health departments, vector control agencies and the medical community to ensure that California is responding aggressively and appropriately to the emerging threat of Zika virus. CDPH is actively monitoring all pregnant women with Zika infection in California. The Department is also collaborating with local health departments to provide assistance to families with infants born with Zika-related birth defects to ensure they receive appropriate medical care. Infants born to mothers with confirmed infections will be monitored for one year.

As of July 29, CDPH has confirmed 114 travel-associated Zika virus infections in 22 counties. A total of 21 infections have been confirmed in pregnant women. This information is updated every Friday on the CDPH Zika website.

While Zika infection is often asymptomatic, those who do have symptoms report fever, rash, joint pain and conjunctivitis (red eyes). The illness is usually mild with symptoms lasting for several days to a week after being bitten by an infected mosquito. There is currently no vaccine or treatment for Zika other than supportive care, rest, fluids and fever relief.

People traveling to areas with known Zika transmission should take steps to avoid mosquito bites:

• Use insect repellents containing DEET, picaridin, IR3535, oil of lemon eucalyptus or para-menthane-diol for long-lasting protection. If using sunscreen and insect repellent, apply sunscreen first and then the repellent. Pregnant women and women who are breastfeeding should choose an EPA-registered insect repellent and use it according to the product label. Do not use insect repellent on infants less than two months of age.
• Wear long-sleeved shirts and long pants.
• Use air conditioning or window and door screens to keep mosquitoes outside. If mosquitoes may come indoors, sleep under a bed net.
• Reduce the number of mosquitoes outside by emptying standing water from containers, such as flowerpots and buckets.

Sexually active adults who travel to areas with Zika transmission should use condoms or other barriers in order to avoid getting or passing Zika during sex. Couples planning pregnancy should speak with a health care provider about a safe time to wait before trying to get pregnant.
CDPH provides Zika-related pregnancy outcome data to the U.S. Zika Pregnancy Registry maintained by the CDC. The CDC is collecting this information to better understand the risks posed by Zika infection during pregnancy.

In order to protect privacy, CDPH is not releasing additional details or the locations of the mothers and children. Infants born with birth defects, including microcephaly, as a result of maternal Zika infection do not pose a public health risk to their communities.

For more information about Zika, visit the CDPH Zika website, which includes the following resources:

Zika and Travel
Zika and Pregnancy
Zika and Sex
Mosquito Bite Prevention

Note to Editors: A digital playback of the media teleconference will be available after 12 Noon PDT today. Call (800) 475-6701 (U.S.) or (320) 365-3844 (international) and use Access Code: 399579.

[niman]

Map Update

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

[niman]

POSTED:AUG 04 2016 07:50PM PDT

UPDATED:AUG 04 2016 10:22PM PDT

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (KTVU & AP) -- The California Department of Public Health said Thursday that California now has two cases of babies born with birth defects due to the Zika virus.

One of the affected babies was born in the past six months at Alta Bates Summit Medical Center in Berkeley with severe microcephly, a source told KTVU, and the mother had apparently traveled to Guatemala.

http://www.ktvu.com/news/ktvu-local-news/185529083-story

[niman]

Map Update

https://www.google.com/maps/d/edit?hl=en&hl=en&authuser=0&authuser=0&mid=1FlIB7hHnVgGD9TlbSx5HwAj-PEQ

 

[niman]

Two babies born with Zika-related microcephaly in California

Filed Under: 

Zika

Stephanie Soucheray | News Reporter | CIDRAP News

  | 

Aug 04, 2016

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brennaval / Flickr cc

Today the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) reported that two babies have been born with Zika-related microcephaly in that state. Officials said in a news release that both babies were born to mothers who acquired the infection outside of the United States.

One of the mothers returned with her infant to her home country, while the other is still in California, according to CDPH officials.

"This is a sobering reminder for Californians that Zika can cause serious harm to a developing fetus," said CDPH Director and State Health Officer Karen Smith, PhD. "We join the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in urging pregnant women to avoid travel to areas with known Zika transmission. Pregnant women who must travel to one of these areas should strictly follow steps to prevent mosquito bites and speak with a health care provider upon return."

Pregnant women can also contract the virus through sexual contact with infected partners. The CDC recommends that all pregnant women with partners who may be at risk for Zika virus use condoms or abstain from sex throughout their pregnancy.

While Aedes aegypti mosquitoes, the vectors for Zika, have been found in 12 California counties, the CDPH said there was no sign of local transmission with the two cases reported today. As of Jul 29, there were 114 travel-related Zika cases in California, 21 in pregnant women.

New US cases

According to the CDC, as of today there are 479 pregnant women in the 50 states who've tested positive for Zika virus and 493 in US territories. Those numbers are up by 46 and 61 women, respectively.

In addition, 15 babies have been born in the United States with Zika-related birth defects, along with 6 pregnancy losses related to Zika virus, the CDC said in its weekly update today. Last week the agency reported 13 babies with birth defects. The number of poor pregnancy outcomes in US territories remained at 1, a pregnancy loss.

In the past week the number of Zika cases in US territories—almost all in Puerto Rico—jumped again. The CDC noted 819 new cases, bringing the total to 5,548. The previous week saw a spike of 914 cases.

In US states the number climbed by 168, to 1,825. The CDC said all but 6 of those cases are travel related. Florida has reported 15 locally acquired cases, but the CDC has confirmed just 6 of them.

The CDC is reporting five cases of Guillain-Barre syndrome (GBS), a neurologic disorder. New York has the highest incidence of Zika virus infection, with 491 cases, followed by Florida, at 322.

Microcephaly investigation in Brazil

Yesterday Brazil's Ministry of Health announced an investigation into the 1,749 Zika-related microcephaly cases that country has seen since the epidemic began in October of 2015. The vast majority (1,400) of the birth defects are in the northeast part of the country, in and around the city of Salvador.

According to CNN, researchers are tracking 1,200 babies with microcephaly in that city to better understand the disease and its link to Zika virus. They are also trying to develop interventions that will help babies with microcephaly.

According to a story in Canada's Globe & Mail, the investigation will help answer why the microcephaly cases are clustered, if other illnesses are at play, and whether race, age, or economic status are influencing cases. A representative from the Ministry of Health is quoted in that story as saying the current "central theory" used to explain the Salvador cluster is that pregnant women are co-infected with chikungunya or dengue virus as well as Zika.

WHO: More microcephaly

Finally today, the World Health Organization (WHO) released its Zika situation report, stating there is no evident decline in the outbreak.

As of Aug 3, 14 countries or territories reported Zika-related microcephaly. Brazil had the most (1,749) followed by Colombia (21) and the United States (19, which doesn't include the 2 reported by the CDC today).

A total of 68 countries have reported Zika cases. Though microcephaly is the most severe outcome associated with Zika, the WHO reports that 16 countries also have documented cases of Zika-related GBS.

See also:

Aug 4 CDPH news release

Aug 4 WHO situation report

Aug 3 Globe & Mail article

Aug 3 CNN story

Aug 3 CDC Zika case counts

Aug 4 CDC Zika in pregnancy counts

Aug 4 CDC Zika birth defects counts

http://www.cidrap.umn.edu/news-perspective/2016/08/two-babies-born-zika-related-microcephaly-california