Health

C.D.C. Investigating 14 Cases Of Zika Transmitted Through Sex In U.S.

United States health officials on Tuesday said they were investigating 14 new reports of the Zika virus possibly being transmitted by sex, including two pregnant women. If confirmed, the unexpectedly high number would have major implications for controlling the virus, which is usually spread by mosquito bites. Scientists had believed sexual transmission of Zika to be extremely rare, and have documented only a few cases. “We were surprised that there was this number,” Dr. Anne Schuchat, the deputy director at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, said in an interview. “If a number of them pan out, that’s much more than I was expecting.” Dr. Schuchat stressed that only two of the infections have been confirmed, and that the information is still preliminary. However, should the suspected cases by confirmed as genuine Zika cases, the situation would open a new complexity to the mystery surrounding Zika. In the U.S. Virgin Islands, there are only 2 confirmed cases of the virus, bu...