Fetus of Venezuelan woman who likely had Zika dies; had microcephaly: doctors

By Alexandra Ulmer and Corina Pons CARACAS (Reuters) – A fetus whose mother likely had the Zika virus suffered the rare congenital defect known as microcephaly and ultimately died, doctors said on Friday, in the first Venezuelan case linking the infection to damage in babies. The mosquito-borne virus has been linked to thousands of suspected cases of microcephaly in Brazil, and a recent study has suggested the virus may be associated with stillbirths. The World Health Organization declared Zika an international health emergency on Feb. 1, citing a “strongly suspected” relationship between Zika infection in pregnancy and microcephaly, a condition in which an infant’s head is markedly smaller than those of other babies of similar age and gender.

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Fetus of Venezuelan woman who likely had Zika dies; had microcephaly: doctors