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(HealthNewsDigest.com) – Zika virus is a known cause of microcephaly and brain abnormalities, and it is the first known mosquito-borne infection to cause congenital anomalies. The consequences of asymptomatic and symptomatic Zika virus infection during pregnancy are not well characterized. The establishment of a comprehensive surveillance system to monitor pregnant women with Zika virus infection will further clarify the risk of adverse outcomes for fetuses and infants. Since February 2016, CDC’s national arboviral disease surveillance system, ArboNET, has included cases of persons with symptomatic Zika virus disease reported by jurisdictions, including pregnant women. ArboNET captures data on symptomatic Zika virus infection and describes a subset of pregnancies at risk from Zika virus, but was not designed to capture information about pregnancy that might impact congenital outcomes. Additional monitoring of asymptomatic and possible Zika virus infections during pregnancy is critical to understanding the full impact of Zika virus infection on fetal and infant outcomes. Thus, in collaboration with state, local and territorial health departments, CDC established two registries to report and actively monitor pregnancies and congenital outcomes among symptomatic and asymptomatic women with any laboratory evidence of Zika virus infections residing in the U.S. and territories: 1) the U.S. Zika Pregnancy Registry (USZPR), which monitors pregnant women residing in the U.S. states and all territories except Puerto Rico, and 2) the Zika Active Pregnancy Surveillance System (ZAPSS), which monitors pregnant women residing in Puerto Rico. As of May 12, 2016, there were 157 and 122 pregnant women with laboratory evidence of Zika virus infection from participating U.S. states and territories, respectively. Tracking the adverse consequences of Zika virus infection in pregnancy will better characterize congenital outcomes and plan for services needed by affected families.
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