Zika virus poses a serious threat to pregnant women and their babies, regardless of when the infection occurs during the pregnancy. (Angel Valentin/Getty)The first report on the how Zika virus affected U.S. territories showed that 5 per cent of women with confirmed infections had babies with birth defects, U.S. health officials said on Thursday. "Zika virus poses a serious threat to pregnant women and their babies, regardless of when the infection occurs during the pregnancy," said CDC Acting Director Dr. Anne Schuchat. Among the women who were infected during their first trimester of pregnancy, 8 per cent had babies with Zika-associated birth defects. The report represents the largest number of completed pregnancies with lab-confirmed Zika virus infections to date, the CDC said.

Source: CBC News June 08, 2017 20:15 UTC