Newborn death in Texas linked to Zika
The infant tested positive for Zika and died shortly after birth. (stock photo)
The death of a newborn baby in Texas has been linked to Zika, health officials say. The infant was born in Harris County after her mother had travelled to Latin America during pregnancy.
Harris County Public Health (HCPH) said the child was born with birth defects - including microcephaly - and died shortly after birth. Tests came back positive for Zika virus. It is thought the mother became infected while travelling in Latin America.
HCPH executive director Umair A Shah said it was the state's first Zika-related death.
Residents are being urged to take precautions to protect themselves, including use of an EPA-registered insect repellant containing one of the following: DEET, picaridin, IR3535 or oil of lemon eucalyptus.
Many people who become infected with Zika will have no symptoms or very mild clinical signs such as fever, rash, joint pain and conjunctivitis. However, infection during pregnancy can cause birth defects including microcephaly, where the head is abnormally small.
It is primarily spread through the bite of infected Aedes mosquitos (Ae. aegypti and Ae. albopictus), though it can also be passed through sexual transmission, and from mother to baby. There is no vaccine, therefore preventing mosquito bites is currently the best method to avoid infection.
Defra has published guidance for the vet sector ahead of a proposed UK-EU Sanitary and Phytosanitary agreement.
