Terrifying

84 Pregnant Women in Florida Infected With Zika Virus

Doctors expecting spike in affected babies in the next few months.

Health officials in Florida confirmed Thursday that 84 pregnant women in the state have been infected with the Zika virus. Speaking at a forum on the virus at the University of Miami, doctors said they have been urging the infected women to speak publicly about the issue in order to draw attention to the virus, but only one has so far agreed to do so. The forum came just a day after a baby born at Jackson Memorial Hospital to an infected mother was found to have microcephaly. Microcephaly, perhaps the most feared effect of Zika, is a congenital defect causing incomplete brain development. Doctors said Thursday that they expect to see a spike in the number of babies born to Zika-infected mothers within the next few months. So far, there have been 56 cases of the virus being transmitted locally in the state, with most of the infections happening in Miami-Dade County. An additional 604 infections resulted from travel. Health workers throughout the state have been urged to test all pregnant women for the virus, regardless of whether or not they have symptoms.