The Zika virus continues to stir public alarm as more domestic cases are reported. The illness, which can stunt the brain's growth during pregnancy due to microcephaly, has affected a total of 2,260 people in the U.S. Now, researchers are monitoring the brains of babies affected and studying just how the virus takes over. The results are devastating.
Read more ¿Qué más?: Zika virus: 10 important facts every pregnant woman needs to know
According to the CDC, 14 mosquito-borne cases have been reported, which creates a higher risk of transmission without even traveling abroad. The Washington Post has reported that health officials in the U.S. are studying 400 pregnant women with the illness and conducting brain scans of their unborn babies in the womb.
The photo above depicts one of those cases, which was published in Radiology, a journal for the industry. In the scans, you can note how the baby's brain regresses little by little. It's pretty astounding. Zika has also been linked to Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS), a rare disorder that can cause muscle weakness and even paralysis.
Tom Frieden, the director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, "We need a robust response to protect pregnant women," he said in a press conference. Right now, the CDC is urging people to take steps to prevent infection.
Images via iStock, Radiology
