NYC has 1st Zika newborn
Mom got bug abroad
The first Big Apple baby to be born with the Zika-related birth defect microcephaly was delivered in July, city health officials announced Friday.
The infant, whose mother contracted the disease while traveling in a Zika-infected area, was born with a smaller-thannormal head and other brain problems, the Health Department said.
“Today, I am the bearer of sad news: We have confirmed New York City’s first baby born with microcephaly associated with the Zika virus,” said Deputy Mayor for Health and Human Services Dr. Herminia Palacio.
“The city has been preparing for this scenario for many months now, and we stand ready to help families caring for an infant with microcephaly. This case is a sad reminder that Zika can have tragic consequences for pregnant women.”
Health officials have said that pregnant New Yorkers aren’t heeding their warnings not to travel to countries where the virus is prevalent.
Women are also being told to use protection with partners who have visited those areas, which include Brazil, the Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Haiti, Panama and Mexico.
The Health Department said its received a surge in requests for Zika tests — including 56 test requests last Friday alone.
Health Commissioner Dr. Mary T. Bassett noted that New York is a city of immigrants, making it only a matter of time before a baby was born with microcephaly.
“We have a great deal of back-and-forth travel,” she said.
Bassett added that she hopes this first case of microcephaly will encourage pregnant women not to travel to countries where they are at a high risk of contracting the virus.
“It should make real for all of us that this is not a theoretical risk; it’s a risk that affects us right here in NYC,” she said.
Officials said they expect to see more cases in the future.
“We want to see the number of pregnant women exposed to Zika go down, and we hope that our new campaign will convey the risk pregnant women face and how they and their partners can avoid these risks,” Bassett said in a statement.