CDC: Zika-associated complications possible after birth

The absence of microcephaly at birth does not rule out congenital Zika virus infection or Zika-related brain abnormalities in infants born to mothers exposed to Zika virus during pregnancy, according to a report released yesterday by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The report describes 13 infants in Brazil with congenital Zika virus infection who did not have microcephaly at birth, but later experienced slowed head growth and neurological complications. “The findings highlight the importance of recent CDC guidance on initial and continuing medical and developmental evaluations of infants with possible congenital Zika virus infection and the importance of early neuroimaging for infants who were exposed to Zika virus prenatally,” the agency said. CDC also has released a FAQ on its recently updated guidance for U.S. laboratories testing for Zika virus infection. As of Nov. 16, CDC’s ArboNET has reported 139 locally acquired cases of the mosquito-borne virus in Florida and more than 4,100 travel-associated cases in the continental United States and Hawaii. CDC recently updated its guidance for people who travel to or live in Miami Beach, because no new locally transmitted cases have been identified for 45 days in part of the area previously reporting local Zika transmission.