Population-Based Surveillance of Birth Defects Potentially Related to Zika Virus Infection — 15 States and U.S. Territories, 2016 | MMWR

Population-Based Surveillance of Birth Defects Potentially Related to Zika Virus Infection — 15 States and U.S. Territories, 2016 | MMWR

• In the second half of 2016, areas in the US with local Zika transmission saw a 21% increase in the birth defects most strongly linked to Zika, such as microcephaly, neural tube defects, and eye abnormalities.
• About 3 out of every 1,000 babies born in those areas had birth defects potentially related to Zika.
• States and territories can track birth defectsthrough ongoing surveillance to identify babies with Zika-related birth defects sooner and connect them to the services they need.