The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention changed its policy Friday on how it will report Zika virus cases in pregnant women, according to The Associated Press.
Prior to the change, officials reported the number of pregnant women with positive blood tests and related Zika virus symptoms, according to AP. Now, they will be reporting all women with positive blood tests regardless of their symptoms. At least four studies have been published citing adverse birth defects in women with the virus who reported no visible symptoms, The New York Times reported.
With this change, there have now been 157 pregnant women reported to be infected in the U.S., a 48-person increase since the change, according to AP. This does not show an increase in the cases found, but a change in how cases will be reported.
The Zika virus causes mild illness in most people, but has the potential to cause stillbirths or birth defects when found in pregnant women. The virus is contracted through a bite from the tropical mosquito called Aedes aegypti or sexual contact with a person who has the virus.
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