Rift Valley Fever In Pregnant Women Could Severely Harm Fetuses, Research Shows
New York Times: A Virus Even More Dangerous Than Zika to Pregnant Woman
“The mosquito-borne virus that causes Rift Valley fever may severely injure human fetuses if contracted by mothers during pregnancy, according to new research. … Results showed that the virus may be even more damaging to fetuses than the Zika virus, which set off a global crisis in 2015 and left thousands of babies in Central America and South America with severe birth defects. … Two cases of infected fetuses have been documented. One infant was born with an enlarged liver and spleen, among other symptoms; the other died within a week. Because the disease can be asymptomatic in pregnant women, many more cases of abnormalities and stillbirths may have been misidentified…” (Baumgaertner, 1/7).