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Three pregnant women are now among 46 confirmed cases of Zika virus across the state, according to the Illinois Department of Public Health.
Eight women in Illinois are listed in the Zika Virus Pregnancy Registry, but an IDPH statement says five of those cases have not been confirmed, and those women may have Zika virus or Dengue fever.
This news comes as health officials in California revealed that two babies were recently born with Zika-related birth defects. As many as 21 pregnant women there have been diagnosed with Zika.
The Illinois residents who have confirmed cases of Zika virus had traveled to areas affected by the virus, the IDPH reports.
The IDPH and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention both recommended earlier this week that pregnant women avoid traveling to Wynwood near Miami, Florida, where mosquitos are spreading Zika virus.
The warning also extends to people who have been to that area since June 15.
Zika virus can spread through mosquito bites, and common symptoms include fever, rash, joint pain and red eyes. Symptoms usually last between several days and a week. However, pregnant women who are infected with the Zika virus have reported poor pregnancy outcomes and giving birth to babies with birth defects, according to the Illinois Department of Public Health.
The first confirmed Zika virus infection was found in May 2015 in Brazil.
Agencies/Canadajournal
