Three Women Confirmed To Be Pregnant And Infected With Zika As Number Of Cases In VI Jump To 65

The Department of Health said on Tuesday that 9 additional Zika cases have been confirmed in the territory, bringing the islands' total count to 65 -- 19 cases in St. Croix, 45 cases in St. Thomas and 1 in St. John. According to D.O.H., out of 830 tests completed for pregnant women, 10 have laboratory evidence of Zika; seven 7 are presumptive positive -- meaning they are more than likely infected but D.O.H. need to conduct additional tests to confirm -- and 3 are confirmed. In response to the rise in Zika cases in the territory and the discovery that Zika can be sexually transmitted by both men and women, D.O.H. is sponsoring two Zika public forums, one in each district, the department made known via press release Friday. The department is inviting the entire community and especially pregnant women and their partners, since pregnant women are at risk of having babies with Zika-related birth defects. The virus has been linked to unusually small heads and brain damage in newborns — ...