HOUSTON (AP) — Officials say an infant whose mother traveled to a Zika-infected area in Latin America died shortly after birth in a suburban Houston hospital, marking the first Zika-related death in Texas.
Dr. Umair Shah is the executive director of Harris County Public Health. Shah said Tuesday that the infant died a few weeks ago and had microcephaly linked to the Zika virus.
Test results linking the death to Zika were confirmed Friday. The mother had traveled to El Salvador while she was pregnant.
The only other confirmed Zika-related death in the U.S. was an elderly Utah man who died in June. He also suffered from other health conditions.
Health officials say there have been no reported cases of Zika virus disease transmitted by mosquitoes in Texas.