ST. THOMAS — Last week’s trend of decreasing Zika virus cases in the U.S. Virgin Islands appears to have been an exception and not an expected new norm, as the Department of Health’s latest report shows the virus sharply increasing in the territory, moving from 657 confirmed cases last week to 712 this week, an increase of 55 new cases.
The amount of pregnant women saw a week-over-week increase of 7, one more than last week, but still less than the spike of 24 cases two weeks ago. The new total of pregnant women infected with the virus is 73. D.O.H. said recently that five of these women have given birth to healthy babies.
Regular Zika cases increased week-over-week on all three islands, with St. Thomas continuing to lead with 503 confirmed cases, up from 466 cases last week; St. Croix with 100 confirmed cases, up from 92 cases last week; and St. John with 36 confirmed cases, up from 32 last week.
D.O.H. no longer accompanies its reports with quotes from the department’s officials.
The Zika virus has been linked to unusually small heads and brain damage in newborns — called microcephaly — in children born to infected mothers, as well as blindness, deafness, seizures and other congenital defects. In adults, the virus is linked to a form of temporary paralysis, called Guillain-Barré syndrome.
Tags: pregnant women, us virgin islands, zika virus
Share On Facebook
Tweet It
