Malaysia confirms first case of Zika in pregnant woman

An Aedes aegypti mosquito is seen inside a test tube as part of a research on preventing the spread of the Zika virus and other mosquito-borne diseases at a control and prevention center in Guadalupe, neighbouring Monterrey, Mexico, March 8, 2016. (REUTERS/Daniel Becerril/File Photo)

KUALA LUMPUR – Malaysia has confirmed its first case of the Zika virus in a pregnant 27-year-old woman, Health Minister Subramaniam Sathasivam said on Wednesday.

Zika infections in pregnant women have been shown to cause microcephaly, a severe birth defect in which the head and brain are undersized, besides other brain abnormalities.

Last week, Malaysia confirmed the first imported case of Zika in a 58-year-old woman who had visited Singapore. On Saturday, it confirmed the first case of a locally transmitted Zika infection.