PITTSBURGH — Federal health officials say the number of pregnant women infected with the Zika virus in the United States is on the rise.
The number of pregnant women in the U.S. who have given birth to babies with defects tied to the Zika virus has officials growing concerned.%
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There are no cases of women being infected with the mosquito-borne virus in the U.S. All cases involved women who contracted Zika while out of the country.
The Centers for Disease Control and Protection is tracking the number pregnant women infected with the Zika virus and says three babies have been born in the U.S. with birth defects linked to the virus.
The CDC found three other babies that did not reach full-term due to defects associated with the virus. These pregnancies ended in either miscarriage or abortion.
According to the CDC, there are 234 pregnant women in the U.S. who have Zika.
CDC officials said Wednesday morning the Zika virus is spreading rapidly across Puerto Rico and blood banks are seeing a rise in rejected donations because of blood being contaminated with Zika.
Officials said if the current trends continue, thousands of women will become infected and there could be dozens to hundreds of children born with microcephaly in the next year in Puerto Rico.
With the summer months coming quickly, officials are concerned that mosquitos carrying Zika could be found in the continental U.S.
Federal lawmakers are working to negotiate a funding plan to combat the virus. House leaders said there could be a vote as early as next week if negotiators reach a deal.