MANHATTAN — More than 40 pregnant New York women have tested positive for the Zika virus after traveling to areas of the world where the virus is prevalent, the city's Department of Health announced Wednesday.
Forty-one women tested positive for the virus among the more than 2,000 pregnant women — all of whom traveled internationally — who were tested, health officials said. The number of people requesting to get tested has also increased, with 56 requests made to the Zika Test Call Center last Friday alone.
“We are doing everything we can to protect New Yorkers from the potentially devastating consequences of Zika,” Deputy Mayor for Health and Human Services Dr. Herminia Palacio said in a statement.
“We remain concerned about the growing number of pregnant New Yorkers who are still traveling to Zika-affected areas. We want to ensure that pregnant women have the information they need to protect their babies, and we strongly recommend that they follow the travel advice and delay travel to countries with Zika.”
At least three New Yorkers have also contracted the virus through sex, including the first-known case of a woman giving Zika to a man, the city said.
Health officials also advised pregnant women or women trying to get pregnant not to have unprotected sex with male partners who have recently traveled to Zika-affected areas.
“If he is uncertain that he can follow this advice, he should consider not traveling. The consequences of infection are far too high," Health Commissioner Dr. Mary Bassett said in a statement.
The most commonly traveled to areas connected with cases in New York include the Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico, Jamaica, Guyana and Colombia.
The Health Department has also been treating marsh land where mosquitos breed to further prevent the spread of the virus.
City residents who think they may have been exposed to Zika can request a test through the Department of Health.
