Officials: Zika caused only mild illness in US kids
NEW YORK – A first look at U.S. teens and young children who were infected with Zika suggests the virus typically causes at worst only a mild illness.
Zika infection during pregnancy can cause severe brain-related birth defects. But the report seems to confirm health officials’ belief that infections that occur after birth in children are similar to infections in adults — most people don’t feel sick, and some develop only mild symptoms.
-
Utah man may have contracted Zika through father’s tears in unique case
-
5 Miami Beach sites with Zika-infected mosquitoes identified
-
Men with vasectomies can still spread Zika via sex, report suggests
Some experts say there’s not enough data to answer questions about the virus’s potential impact on the developing brains of infants and small children, however.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released the report Friday. It’s based on 158 infections from earlier this year in kids ages 1 month to 17 years.