sharon sanders
Editor-in-Chief & President
Perspective
Zika and the Risk of Microcephaly
Michael A. Johansson, Ph.D., Luis Mier-y-Teran-Romero, Ph.D., Jennita Reefhuis, Ph.D., Suzanne M. Gilboa, Ph.D., and Susan L. Hills, M.B., B.S.
N Engl J Med 2016; 375:1-4
July 7, 2016
DOI: 10.1056/NEJMp1605367
snip
Although much remains unknown about the effects of ZIKV infection during pregnancy, population-level data from French Polynesia and Bahia reveal a clear association between first-trimester ZIKV infection and microcephaly risk. The pattern was probably similar in other parts of northeastern Brazil, where Zika outbreaks in early 2015 were followed by microcephaly outbreaks in late 2015. If the risk of infection and adverse outcomes is similar in the other geographic areas where ZIKV has since spread, many more cases of microcephaly and other adverse outcomes are likely to occur. In light of the growing evidence, it is prudent to take precautions to avoid ZIKV infection during pregnancy5 and for health care systems to prepare for an increased burden of adverse pregnancy outcomes in the coming years.
http://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMp1605367
Zika and the Risk of Microcephaly
Michael A. Johansson, Ph.D., Luis Mier-y-Teran-Romero, Ph.D., Jennita Reefhuis, Ph.D., Suzanne M. Gilboa, Ph.D., and Susan L. Hills, M.B., B.S.
N Engl J Med 2016; 375:1-4
July 7, 2016
DOI: 10.1056/NEJMp1605367
snip
Although much remains unknown about the effects of ZIKV infection during pregnancy, population-level data from French Polynesia and Bahia reveal a clear association between first-trimester ZIKV infection and microcephaly risk. The pattern was probably similar in other parts of northeastern Brazil, where Zika outbreaks in early 2015 were followed by microcephaly outbreaks in late 2015. If the risk of infection and adverse outcomes is similar in the other geographic areas where ZIKV has since spread, many more cases of microcephaly and other adverse outcomes are likely to occur. In light of the growing evidence, it is prudent to take precautions to avoid ZIKV infection during pregnancy5 and for health care systems to prepare for an increased burden of adverse pregnancy outcomes in the coming years.
http://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMp1605367