CDC reports Zika-associated death in Puerto Rico
About 11% of patients tested for arboviruses in Puerto Rico since last November were infected with Zika virus, according to a report released today by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Health providers submit specimens to the Puerto Rico Department of Health from patients with suspected Zika, chikungunya or dengue virus, who are then tested for the three arboviruses. According to the report, 65 or 10% of the 683 people who tested positive for Zika as of April 14 were symptomatic pregnant women. Seventeen people required hospitalization, including five with suspected Guillain-Barré syndrome. One patient died of complications related to thrombocytopenia, or a low blood platelet count. “Although Zika virus-associated deaths are rare, the first identified death in Puerto Rico highlights the possibility of severe cases, as well as the need for continued outreach to raise health care providers’ awareness of complications that might lead to severe disease or death,” the authors said. As of this week, U.S. states have reported 426 travel-associated cases of Zika virus. CDC recently confirmed that Zika virus can cause microcephaly and other serious birth defects. For more information, visit www.cdc.gov/zika and www.aha.org/zika.