Infant’s death is first Zika-related fatality in Texas

Fairfax County Health Department officials are reassuring residents not to worry about the Zika virus if they are bitten by a mosquito here. No cases have been reported of local transmission of Zika.

The first death related to the Zika virus in Texas was confirmed Tuesday by Houston-area officials, who said a newborn baby girl passed away as a result of the disease.

Dr. Umair Shah, executive director of Harris County Public Health, announced Tuesday that the infant, who died a few weeks ago, had microcephaly, a medical condition linked to the Zika infection. The new infections were reported a couple hours after the first Zika-related death in Texas was reported.

Researchers believe that the risk of giving birth to a baby with microcephaly for people infected with Zika while pregnant is somewhere between 1 and 13 percent.

The Texas baby’s death is the second fatality in the continental USA linked to Zika.

Clinton also called for a revamp of the country’s public health system – an idea that has some support from members of both parties – so that the country would be better prepared for public health emergencies when they come up.

“There are 14 new travel-related cases today with four in Miami-Dade County, three in Orange County, two in Hernando County, one in Broward County, one in Lee County, one in Monroe County and two involving pregnant women”, the report said.

Zika virus is a mosquito-borne illness that is characterized by a fever, rash and joint pain. There are 97 cases of the virus in Texas. But they did say she didn’t know Zika virus was “in play” when she went to El Salvador, and didn’t know she was infected till birth.

More than $26 million in state funds has been allocated to fight Zika in Florida. When asked by a local reporter about the issue, Trump said Rick Scott, the state’s Republican governor is doing a “fantastic job” and “seems to have it under control”. He added that the department’s top mission is to do everything it can to protect unborn babies from the devastating effects of the virus. Six new travel-related cases were also confirmed in Florida on Monday, bringing the total number of cases in Florida to 378. CDC recommends that pregnant women should avoid traveling to Zika affected areas.

See also: Congress Vacations While Zika Virus Spreads Locally in U.S.

The reported cases in Texas have been linked to traveling overseas in areas with known cases of the virus.