The number of pregnant women in the United States infected with Zika virus is suddenly tripling, due to a change in how the government is reporting cases.
Previously, officials had reported how many pregnant women had both Zika symptoms and positive blood tests. In a change announced Friday, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's count will include all women who tested positive, regardless of symptoms – that information is placed in the Zika registry.
There are now 157 pregnant women infected with Zika in the 50 states, up from the 48 reported last week under the old definition.
Two women in Washington State are in this registry, meaning they have experienced possible Zika exposure.
Separate from the registry, the Washington State Department of Health reported in February that a pregnant woman in Spokane had the Zika virus. She delivered her baby and the child tested negative for Zika virus.
That woman was a traveler and has been withdrawn from cases the CDC tracks.
Initially, doctors recognized the connection between the virus and birth defects only in women who had suffered symptoms during pregnancy.
But reports published this year indicate that some pregnant women with laboratory evidence of a recent Zika infection — but who never had symptoms — have delivered infants with the defects.
John Lynch, medical director of Harborview Medical Center infection control, discussed the two women in the registry on Friday.
The news conference on Friday was held by Senator Patty Murray and Representative Suzan DelBene urging colleagues to "quickly approve emergency zika funding."
Lynch talked about microcephaly, which can be caused by Zika, and the devastation it can do to a developing fetus.
"As much as we know (about Zika), there is much more we do not know and that we need to figure out as quickly as possible how can we prevent infections, especially in women who are pregnant or soon to become pregnant and what can we do to mitigate the harm to a baby who is exposed," Lynch said.
Could Zika spread from this one case to the wider public through local mosquitoes?
- No, Zika cases in returning travelers to King County do not pose a risk of community Zika spread locally. The kind of mosquitoes that can transmit Zika virus (from the species Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus) aren't found in the Pacific Northwest. Even if a local mosquito bit someone who is infected, they wouldn't pass the Zika virus.
Should people in King County take any steps to prevent getting Zika?
- Because we don't have the mosquitoes that carry Zika here, we don't need to take special measures to ward off mosquitoes because of Zika (although wearing repellant is recommended locally to prevent West Nile virus infections).
- Zika is a serious risk for pregnant women who travel to areas where outbreaks are occurring and who have sex partners who have traveled to these areas. Women who are pregnant or who want to get pregnant should avoid travel to Zika-affected areas if possible and both women and men who do travel to areas where the Zika virus is spreading should take precautions to prevent infection from this virus. That means strictly following steps to prevent mosquito bites during the trip. Couples with men who live in or travel to areas with Zika can prevent the spread of Zika through sex by using condoms every time they have sex, or by not having sex during the risk period (see CDC site for details regarding duration of precautions). To be effective, condoms must be used consistently and correctly. The CDC has guidance on preventing sexual transmission.
If someone thinks they have Zika, how can they be tested?
- If you have recently traveled to a Zika-affected area and experience symptoms of Zika, see your healthcare provider and tell your provider about your travel. We work with healthcare providers to determine whether individual patients potentially have Zika, based on the symptoms and travel itinerary. If your illness is consistent with Zika, your healthcare provider can order blood tests. It currently takes a few weeks to get results back because there are only a small number of labs at this time that can process Zika tests and there is a large volume of tests requested. However, in the past week the FDA approved a new type of commercial diagnostic test that can be ordered by healthcare providers for people who meet the CDC criteria for testing, so that may help reduce the waiting time in some cases.