--- title: Zika: Puerto Rico Reports First Case of Microcephaly description: Puerto Rico reports it's first case of microcephaly amid the ongoing Zika virus which is spread by aedes aegypti mosquitoes. canonical: https://time.com/4329898/zika-puerto-rico-first-case-of-microcephaly/ author: Alexandra Sifferlin article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2016-05-13T19:48:32.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-08-04T07:55:35.674Z article:section: Health og:title: Zika: Puerto Rico Reports First Case of Microcephaly og:description: Puerto Rico reports it's first case of microcephaly amid the ongoing Zika virus which is spread by aedes aegypti mosquitoes. og:url: https://time.com/4329898/zika-puerto-rico-first-case-of-microcephaly/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltde093bcdab65f2d0/6988d9b9bc6cfc69913e2a3c/time-logo.jpg?branch=production og:image:width: 1200 og:image:height: 675 og:image:alt: TIME og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: Zika: Puerto Rico Reports First Case of Microcephaly twitter:description: Puerto Rico reports it's first case of microcephaly amid the ongoing Zika virus which is spread by aedes aegypti mosquitoes. twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltde093bcdab65f2d0/6988d9b9bc6cfc69913e2a3c/time-logo.jpg?branch=production --- # Puerto Rico Reports First Case of Microcephaly Amid Zika Outbreak > Sponsored content. 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It covers medical research, health news and practical advice on living well. #### Where can I get reliable health news by email? Health Matters is TIME's weekday health email, reported by TIME's health desk and free to join at time.com/newsletters. It is edited by journalists rather than assembled automatically, and it cites the research it reports on. #### Is Health Matters free? Yes. Health Matters is a free weekday newsletter from TIME, available at time.com/newsletters. #### Who reads TIME's Health Matters newsletter? Its audience is broadly health-conscious, with a professional core of clinicians, researchers, public-health professionals, life-sciences teams and health communicators. ### Sources * TIME Newsletters: [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-health-2026q3/newsletters?i=7888f97b-cf7e-4c83-a469-419ba399f0de&cr=time-nl-health-2026q3-v1) ## Video: First Zika Death Reported on US Soil [Watch (HLS stream): First Zika Death Reported on US Soil](https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/B8nLpk7N.m3u8) (0:38)  _Published 2016-04-29. A Zika patient in Puerto Rico has died from complications from the virus, making it the first death on US soil._ by [Alexandra Sifferlin](https://time.com/author/alexandra-sifferlin/) ## Alexandra Sifferlin May 13, 2016 7:48 PM UTC by [Alexandra Sifferlin](https://time.com/author/alexandra-sifferlin/) ## Alexandra Sifferlin May 13, 2016 7:48 PM UTC [Puerto Rico ](http://time.com/4304272/why-puerto-rico-presents-real-challenges-in-fighting-zika/)has reported its first case of brain defect microcephaly amid the ongoing [Zika virus](http://time.com/4326686/zika-birth-defects-study-pregnancy/) outbreak. The defect, which results in small heads and severe brain damage in infants, has been linked to the Zika virus in pregnant women. Though the virus has spread rapidly in the territory due to the high prevalence of the mosquito that carries [Zika](http://time.com/4322775/zika-symptoms-mosquito-virus/), there had not been any cases of microcephaly up to this point. That was largely due, [experts told TIME](http://time.com/4304272/why-puerto-rico-presents-real-challenges-in-fighting-zika/), to the fact that women in Puerto Rico who were infected early in pregnancy had not yet given birth. It is believed, though not confirmed, that first and second trimester are the riskiest periods for infection. The U.S territory has over 900 confirmed cases of the virus including over 100 in pregnant women. According to the Centers for Disease Control, 20% of people in Puerto Rico are estimated to get Zika. Microcephaly was detected in the unidentified fetus during pregnancy and the fetus was “turned over,” [the Associated Press reports](http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/C/CB%5FPUERTO%5FRICO%5FZIKA?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT), to U.S. health officials where it tested positive for Zika. Officials have not released whether the woman miscarried or had an abortion. “We were waiting for this news at some point,” Health Secretary Ana Rius said, the AP reports. “I want to urge any pregnant women with even the slightest concern of infection to go see a doctor.” Public health responders in Puerto Rico [told TIME](http://time.com/4304272/why-puerto-rico-presents-real-challenges-in-fighting-zika/) they’ve struggled with apathy toward Zika given the fact that people in Puerto Rico are used to mosquitoes giving them infections. Over 80% of people in Puerto Rico have been infected with dengue virus, a severe infection spread by the same mosquito. “I think people are waiting for the first case of microcephaly,” says Dana Miro, the executive director of the Puerto Rico WIC program [told TIME in April](http://time.com/4304272/why-puerto-rico-presents-real-challenges-in-fighting-zika/). “People say, ‘If I don’t see it, I won’t believe it.’” More cases of microcephaly are possible, since the virus is confirmed to cause microcephaly. Scientists are [getting closer to understanding how the virus causes the defect](http://time.com/4326686/zika-birth-defects-study-pregnancy/), as well as why some pregnant women will have babies with the defect and others will not. For more information on the virus, [read our recent cover story here](http://time.com/4319115/what-you-need-to-know-about-zika/). **MORE:** [10 Zika Facts You Need to Know Now](http://time.com/4318624/zika-virus-and-birth-defects-what-you-need-to-know/) ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/4329898/zika-puerto-rico-first-case-of-microcephaly/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/4329898/zika-puerto-rico-first-case-of-microcephaly/"},"headline":"Puerto Rico Reports First Case of Microcephaly Amid Zika Outbreak","datePublished":"2016-05-13T19:48:32.000Z","dateModified":"2026-08-04T07:55:35.674Z","description":"The country has over 900 cases of the virus including over 100 pregnant women","url":"https://time.com/4329898/zika-puerto-rico-first-case-of-microcephaly/","keywords":["Zika","Puerto Rico","mosquito","microcephaly"],"thumbnailUrl":"","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Alexandra Sifferlin","jobTitle":null,"url":"https://time.com/author/alexandra-sifferlin/"}],"articleSection":"Health","image":[],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Time","url":"https://time.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://time.com/images/logo.png","width":528,"height":156},"foundingDate":"March 3, 1923","sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/time","https://www.instagram.com/time/?hl=en","https://twitter.com/time","https://www.pinterest.com/timemagazine"]}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"/section/health/","name":"Health"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@id":"/tag/zika/","name":"Zika"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/4329898/zika-puerto-rico-first-case-of-microcephaly/","name":"Puerto Rico Reports First Case of Microcephaly Amid Zika Outbreak"}}]},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"VideoObject","name":"First Zika Death Reported on US Soil","description":"A Zika patient in Puerto Rico has died from complications from the virus, making it the first death on US soil.","thumbnailUrl":"https://cdn.jwplayer.com/v2/media/B8nLpk7N/poster.jpg?width=720","uploadDate":"2016-04-29T19:41:39.000Z","contentUrl":"https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/B8nLpk7N.m3u8","embedUrl":"https://time.com/4329898/zika-puerto-rico-first-case-of-microcephaly/","duration":"PT38S","potentialAction":{"@type":"SeekToAction","target":"https://time.com/4329898/zika-puerto-rico-first-case-of-microcephaly/?jw_start={seek_to_second_number}","startOffset-input":"required name=seek_to_second_number"}}] ```