FLICKR, CONIFERCONIFERBreastmilk from a mother in New Caledonia, a collection of islands in the Pacific, has tested positive for Zika virus, researchers reported this month (March 1). The implications of this finding are not yet clear. “Arbovirus transmission via breastfeeding has been previously suggested for dengue, West Nile, and yellow fever, but more information is needed,” the authors wrote in The Lancet.
The woman had given birth in July 2015 and experienced a fever at the time that lasted a couple of days. She also developed a rash shortly after having her baby. Both the mom and the newborn left the hospital healthy.
The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends that infected women and those living in regions with Zika virus circulating should breastfeed. “No evidence of Zika virus infection associated with breastfeeding have been reported,” according to the CDC. “Current evidence suggests that the benefits of breastfeeding outweigh the theoretical risks of Zika virus infection transmission through breast milk.”
Another case reported this month suggested Zika may be linked with swelling in the central nervous system. A man who had visited New Caledonia ...
