Texas Health Officials Report State’s First Zika-Related Death
Health officials in Texas announced the state’s first Zika-related death this week. The victim, a baby girl, was born with microcephaly after being infected while in the womb. Microcephaly is a devastating birth defect in which the baby is born an abnormally small head and brain resulting in severe developmental problems. Harris County officials say that the infant’s mother, who is not being identified, contracted Zika after traveling to El Salvador during her pregnancy. The baby reportedly died a few weeks ago shortly after being born in a Houston hospital.
The Zika virus has impacted Texas There have been 97 cases of Zika reported in Texas. Thirty-one of those cases are in Harris County with 14 of those in the Houston metro. So far, two infants have been born with microcephaly in Harris County. To date, all reported cases have been linked to outof-country travel, and there are no reported incidences of locally-acquired Zika infections in Texas. The Texas heat and humidity are prime conditions for the Zika virus to thrive. State officials are trying to ward off an outbreak of locally-acquired infections by allowing the state’s Medicaid program to provide mosquito repellent for pregnant women and all women and girls between the ages of 10 and 45. Harris County Judge Ed Emmett is
vowing to work with corporate partners and state and local officials to make it easier for those in need to get mosquito repellent. Emmett believes that working with corporate partners is more efficient than requiring people to get a prescription for bug spray from their doctor. Texas Governor Greg Abbott is also urging residents to limit outdoor activities, especially at dawn and dusk when mosquitoes are most active.
Unprecedented steps are required The U.S. Centers for Disease Control has announced that there are just over 1,800 cases of Zika in the United States with most of those being attributed to travel to out-ofcountry hot zones. So far, the only reported locally-acquired Zika cases have been in the Wynwood neighborhood just north of Miami. The Centers for Disease Control recently took the unprecedented step of warning pregnant women to avoid travel to Miami to avoid potential infection. The only other Zika-related death in the U.S. was an elderly Utah man who passed away in June. That individual also suffered from other health complications. The Zika virus first came to the world’s attention after an outbreak in Brazil where it is believed to have been responsible for more than 1,700 cases of microcephaly. “Eric Braverman is an author and physician.�