The CDC opened its Emergency Operations Center to fight Zika on Jan. 22, 2016. This was a response to an outbreak occurring in the Americas that was linked to an increase in women delivering babies with microcephaly.
In its Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, the CDC highlighted 10 contributions including issuing travel guidance to warn pregnant women about visiting Zika outbreak areas, publishing clinical guidance for the care of pregnant women, and identifying the possibility of Zika being sexually transmitted.
“Fighting Zika is the most complex epidemic response CDC has taken on, requiring expertise ranging from pregnancy and birth defects to mosquito control, from laboratory science to travel policy, from virology to communication science,” CDC Director Tom Frieden said in a news release. “CDC experts in every field will continue to protect women and their families from the devastating complications of this threat.”
The CDC noted that the contributions listed in the report are significant steps, but that the fight against Zika is not over. As the fight continues, the agency’s top priority will continue to be protecting pregnant women.
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