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04/29/2024 12:33:39 am

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3rd Baby With Zika-Linked Microcephaly Born in the U.S., First in New York Tri-State Area

Brazil Faces New Health Epidemic As Mosquito-Borne Zika Virus Spreads Rapidly

(Photo : Mario Tama/Getty Images) Dr. Vanessa Van Der Linden, the neuro-pediatrician who first recognized and alerted authorities over the microcephaly crisis in Brazil, measures the head of a 2-month-old baby with microcephaly on January 27, 2016 in Recife, Brazil. The baby's mother was diagnosed with having the Zika virus during her pregnancy. In the last four months, authorities have recorded close to 4,000 cases in Brazil in which the mosquito-borne Zika virus may have led to microcephaly in infants. The ailment results in an abnormally small head in newborns and is associated with various disorders including decreased brain development. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), the Zika virus outbreak is likely to spread throughout nearly all the Americas. At least twelve cases in the United States have now been confirmed by the CDC.

A baby with Zika-linked microcephaly in the United States was born on Tuesday, marking the first-ever case in the New York tri-state area but the third in the country. 

The baby girl was born on Tuesday in New Jersey. Children born with microcephaly is an indication that the baby has a partially-formed brain.

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The mother of the baby was not identified but she reportedly contracted the virus during her trip to Honduras. She was admitted to the emergency room of Hackensack University Medical Center on Friday while vacationing in the United States. Doctors decided that they had to perform an emergency caesarean section to deliver the baby. It was not clear if the baby was born on her ninth month inside the mother's womb or if she was a premature baby.

Doctors at the hospital pointed out that the baby was not developing well in the last month and was also born with intestinal and visual problems.It was unknown how much the child weighed but in cases such as this, babies born with the disease suffer from low birth weight.

The mother reportedly had a rash when she was still in Honduras for two days. However, her symptoms did not show until she arrived in the United States a month ago. Doctors in Honduras said that the child insider her womb might have intracranial complications but it was only until the mother was admitted to the Hackensack University Medical Center that doctors confirmed the baby had Zika-linked microcephaly.

The mother is not doing well emotionally after the birth of her child, a relative said.

This is not the first case of a child born with Zika-linked complications in the United States. In February, a woman in Hawaii delivered a baby suffering from severe microcephaly as a result of the Zika infection, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC.)

Babies who have contracted microcephaly can suffer from developmental delays, intellectual disability, vision problems, problems with movement and balance, seizures, hearing loss, and feeding problems.

The Zika virus starts from the bite of an infected mosquito but it can also be spread through sexual contact and blood transfusion. There is no vaccine available at the moment to prevent the Zika virus so experts are advising people to wear long-sleeved shirts and pants when visiting affected countries. Symptoms of the virus include red eyes, joint pain, rashes, and fever. 

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