Becker's Clinical Quality & Infection Control

18 SPOTLIGHT ON ZIKA CDC Confirms Zika Causes Microcephaly By Brian Zimmerman I n April, the CDC officially announced that the Zika virus causes microcephaly and other fetal brain defects. e decision was based not on one single piece of conclusive evidence, but rather a growing body of research. A report on the CDC's decision was published in e New England Journal of Medicine. e report describes the rigorous examination of the evidence that led to the organization's affirmation of the direct correlation between Zika and microcephaly. "is study marks a turning point in the Zika outbreak. It is now clear that the virus causes microcephaly," said Tom Frieden, MD, director of the CDC. "We are also launching further studies to determine whether children who have microcephaly born to mothers infected by the Zika virus is the tip of the iceberg of what we could see in damaging effects on the brain and other developmental problems." Misperceptions about Zika are relatively common in the U.S., surveys have shown. "Surveys have told us that a lot of people aren't concerned about Zika virus infection in the United States — they don't know a lot about it... now that we can be more convinc- ing that Zika virus does cause microceph- aly, we hope that people will focus on our prevention messages more closely," Sonja A. Rasmussen, MD, the CDC's director of public health information and dissemination and the study's lead author, said in e New York Times. e CDC's announcement comes aer the World Health Organization confirmed scientific consensus regarding the Zika virus' causative link to the birth defect micro- cephaly, Guillain-Barré syndrome and other neurological disorders earlier this month. Dr. Frieden stated that the agency's confir- mation is in line with mounting evidence and is an affirmation of the organization's "early guidance to pregnant women and their partners to take steps to avoid Zika infec- tion and to healthcare professionals who are talking to patients every day. We are working to do everything possible to protect the American public." n 6 Cases of Zika-Related Birth Defects Reported in US By Brian Zimmerman I n the U.S. as of June 9, three infants have been born with Zika-related birth defects and three pregnancies were lost due to miscarriages or abortions incited by birth defects linked to Zika, according to information reported by the CDC. In all six cases, the women's Zika infections were travel-related. The CDC will continue to update the instances of Zika-related birth defects in the U.S. as the nation moves deeper into summer and the risk of local transmission increases. In a statement, the CDC said its top priority in the fight against Zika is "to protect pregnant women and women of childbearing age because of the potential risks associated with Zika virus infection during pregnancy. Reporting the poor outcomes of pregnancies with any laboratory evidence of Zika virus infection will contribute to our under- standing of the ongoing effect of Zika virus among pregnant women in [the] U.S. and ensure that the most up-to-date information about pregnancy out- comes linked with Zika virus is publicly available." Birth defects associated with Zika infection include microcephaly and other fetal brain defects, abnormal eye development and nerve damage. n Protecting Health Workers From Zika Transmission During Labor: 5 Things to Know By Heather Punke B ecause large amounts of patient bodily fluid are present during labor and delivery, the CDC has urged healthcare workers aiding in labor and delivery to be extra vigilant in following infection control measures to protect themselves from pos- sible Zika virus transmission. Here are five things to know about how healthcare work- ers can protect themselves from Zika transmission during labor and delivery, from the CDC and JAMA. 1. Occupational transmission of Zika virus from patient to healthcare worker has not been reported, but workers should still be vigilant. 2. Standard precautions — including hand hygiene, personal protective equip- ment, respiratory hygiene and cough etiquette, safe injection practices and safe handling of potentially contaminated equipment or surfaces — are essential during labor and delivery. 3. Pregnant women lose an average of 500mL of blood during normal vaginal deliver- ies, and amniotic fluid volume can exceed 500mL. Both of these fluids have been shown to carry Zika virus. 4. Anesthesia professionals should wear gloves and a surgical mask and should use additional measures when large amounts of body fluids will be present. 5. If a healthcare professional is unprotected and gets splashed during delivery, they should report the incident to their organization and be assessed for Zika virus infection. n

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