Florida sees its first microcephaly birth from Zika

By Michael Harthorne, Michael Harthorne

Published June 30, 2016

A 3-month-old baby with microcephaly in Brazil. A baby with the Zika-caused birth defect was recently born in Florida. (AP Photo/Felipe Dana)

A third baby—and the first in Florida—with Zika-related microcephaly has been born in the US, ABC News reports. Florida Gov. Rick Scott announced the birth Tuesday.

According to the Miami Herald, the baby was born to a woman from Haiti who contracted Zika while outside the US. She traveled to Florida to give birth.

“It is heartbreaking to learn that a baby has been born with Zika-related microcephaly in our state, and my thoughts and prayers are with the mother and child," the Orlando Sentinel quotes Scott as saying. Microcephaly causes babies to have unusually small heads and leads to problems with brain development. Babies with Zika-related microcephaly have also been born in New Jersey and Hawaii. Both of the mothers contracted Zika while outside the US. In fact, there are still no known cases of mosquitoes spreading the virus in the US. With more than 200 reported cases, Florida has more Zika infections than any other state. Forty of those cases involve pregnant women. Scott has declared a public health emergency and made $26.2 million in state money available to fight Zika. (A tweeted photo from the CDC speaks volumes about the problem.)

This article originally appeared on Newser: Florida Sees Its First Microcephaly Birth From Zika