Zika Virus In New York City: 49 Cases Confirmed In Pregnant Women

Forty-nine pregnant women have tested positive for the Zika Virus in New York City. When New York City implemented its Zika action plan in April of this year, it tested over 3,400 at-risk pregnant women, the Associated Press reported.

Out of the tested number, dozens of women were diagnosed with Zika. Since the action plan testing commenced in April, one baby was born with microcephaly that was linked to the virus.

Officials told AP that out of the 49 found cases, most people who tested positive for the mosquito-borne virus had picked up the virus while traveling to Zika-affected areas.

A smaller group of women were infected through sexual transmission.

According to an August 2016 report from the New York State Department of Health, no cases of locally mosquito-borne transmissions have been reported in the state of New York.

On Tuesday, New York Mayor Bill de Blasio stated that the city has “committed $21 million to protect New Yorkers from Zika.” Fellow politicians, including Democrat U.S. Rep. Carolyn Maloney, have all asked Congress to approve $1.9 billion in emergency funding for New York.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), as of Aug. 10 of 2016, 1,955 travel-associated cases of the virus have been reported in the U.S. In the state of New York, 530 travel-associated cases of the virus were also reported since Aug. 10. Federal health officials told the AP that 420 cases of Zika were found in New York City.

The first locally-transmitted cases of the Zika Virus were recently discovered in Miami-Dade County, Fla. in early July.

Texas has also discovered cases of the virus, although no locally transmitted cases have been reported yet. The first infant fatality due to microcephalic complications linked to Zika was reported last week.