U.S. monitoring 279 pregnant women with possible Zika in states and territories

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is monitoring 279 pregnant women in U.S. states and territories with laboratory evidence of possible Zika virus infection, according to a report released today on data from the U.S. Zika Pregnancy Registry and Puerto Rico Zika Active Pregnancy Surveillance System. The total includes 157 women in the states and 122 in the territories. The surveillance systems monitor pregnant women with laboratory evidence of possible infection, whether or not they report symptoms. As of May 12, the majority of cases reported to the U.S. registry (for states and territories other than Puerto Rico) are associated with travel, but it also includes cases of sexual transmission and local transmission from the territories. The agency plans to update the counts weekly on its website. “Pregnancy outcomes are currently being monitored and will be shared in future reports,” the report adds. “It is critical that health care providers inform state, local, tribal and territorial health departments of any pregnant women with laboratory evidence of possible Zika virus infection under their care.”