CDC MMWR report on Zika is highly disturbing - pass to younger women you know.

[Yo_Mama]

Here's the link:
http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/65/wr/mm6508e1er.htm?s_cid=mm6508e1er_w

The bottom line is that this is really very shocking. Of women with Zika infections in their first trimester, total six, the pregnancy outcomes so far are quite dire:

Among the six pregnant women with Zika virus disease who reported symptoms during the first trimester, outcomes included two early pregnancy losses, two elective pregnancy terminations, and delivery of a live born infant with microcephaly; one pregnancy is continuing. Among two women with Zika virus infection who had symptoms during the second trimester of pregnancy, one apparently healthy infant has been born and one pregnancy is continuing. One pregnant woman reported symptoms of Zika virus infection in the third trimester of pregnancy, and she delivered a healthy infant.

Even assuming that there was some selection for problem pregnancies, this is a remarkably bad set of outcomes.

Zika is confirmed in many Carribean and South/Central American countries already. CDC also notes:

Approximately half a million pregnant women are estimated to travel to the United States annually from the 32 (as of February 18, 2016) Zika-affected countries and U.S. territories with active transmission of Zika virus (personal communication, Bradley Nelson, February 23, 2016). These numbers might decrease if pregnant women follow CDC recommendations (1) and postpone travel to areas with ongoing local Zika virus transmission. Pregnant women and their partners should also be aware of the risk for Zika virus infection through unprotected sex with an infected male partner, and carefully follow CDC interim guidelines for preventing sexual transmission of Zika virus infection (13). Health care providers should notify their state, local, or territorial health department about women with possible exposure to Zika virus during pregnancy for assistance in arranging testing and interpreting results.

The CDC's travel alerts for Zika are here:
http://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel/page/zika-travel-information

Currently local transmission is occuring in Mexico, Puerto Rico, the US Virgin Islands and American Samoa, as well as just about every Central and South American nation.

It is not the time for women who are trying to become pregnant to take a Carnival Cruise, unless maybe to Alaska.

[etherealtruth]

1. K&R for exposure