More Zika Cases = More Worried Parents = More Guidance from the CDC

With travel-related cases of Zika virus infection now confirmed in 20 states and the District of Columbia, it’s likely urgent care centers will see more patients with concerns, founded or unfounded, that they or their children have been infected. Guidance updated by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention this week says routine care is adequate for most babies with suspected Zika virus infection unless there are signs of microcephaly. If there is evidence of microcephaly or intracranial calcification in babies, they should be referred for ultrasound and a thorough newborn exam. The guidance applies to infants born to mothers who traveled to affected areas of the world, as well as those who have traveled to areas where locally acquired Zika virus has been reported. Physicians are advised to “use their clinical judgment” in deciding which patients to test for Zika virus, though infants should be tested if the mother has a positive or inconclusive test. Zika virus should be suspected in infants or children younger than 18 years who have been in Zika-affected areas in the past two weeks and who exhibit two or more of the following: fever, rash, conjunctivitis, and arthralgia or joint pain.