Officials are rushing to figure out if Zika is the cause of the irreversible damage, known as microcephaly.

CDC chief Tom Frieden cautioned that much more research on a large number of people was needed to understand fully the risk posed by Zika virus infection in pregnancy.

But the details of the nine cases suggested that adverse effects were more likely when the women were infected early on.

Of the six women who tested positive for Zika during the first trimester, one pregnancy is ongoing.

One woman gave birth to a baby with microcephaly -- a case that has been previously reported by state health authorities. She is believed to have been infected while traveling to Brazil.

Two of the women miscarried, and two elected to terminate their pregnancies.

Severe brain defects were documented during an ultrasound and MRI scan at 20 weeks gestation in one of the cases in which the woman chose abortion.

Details on the second abortion case were not released, and the CDC declined to say whether or not both the women made their decisions specifically because of Zika.

Two of the nine women tested positive for Zika later in their pregnancies, during the second trimester.

One delivered a healthy baby, and the other is continuing her pregnancy.

The ninth woman "reported symptoms of Zika virus infection in the third trimester of pregnancy, and she delivered a healthy infant," said the CDC.

All the women reported common symptoms of Zika virus infection -- including fever, rash and or red eyes -- and all were confirmed in lab tests to have Zika virus infections.

There is no vaccine or treatment for Zika. Health authorities have urged people traveling to or living in the more than 20 affected areas of Latin America and the Caribbean to avoid mosquito bites if possible, and to choose abstinence or use condoms regularly to avoid passing the virus to a partner.



Source: AFP