About

The Zika Virus

Teratology Society Members Weigh In

Many Teratology Society members are involved in Zika virus response and research efforts. They include members working in government, academia, and industry, ranging from basic scientists to epidemiologists to clinicians. While much of this work is taking place out of the spotlight in laboratories, hospitals, government agencies, and the field, several members’ efforts and expertise have been featured publicly.

In this session of CDC’s Beyond the Data, Dr. Sonja Rasmussen, Teratology Society Past President, and Dr. Phoebe Thorpe discuss Zika virus and the link to birth defects.

Members Alan M. Hoberman, PhD, DABT, ATS, and Elise M. Lewis, PhD, authored Biting Questions on this ‘World Birth Defects Day.’

Member Sarah Obican, MD, was featured in the LA Times article Five ways scientists are going after the Zika virus and the New York Times article DEET Seen as Safe for Pregnant Women Despite Limited Studies.

Past President Christina D. Chambers, PhD, MPH, spoke to Stat News about the timing of Zika virus contraction during pregnancy and the role it might play in causing birth defects. 

Past President Sonja Rasmussen was the lead author on the April 13, 2016, CDC Special Report in the New England Journal of Medicine: Zika Virus and Birth Defects — Reviewing the Evidence for Causality and took part in the CDC media briefing confirming that Zika virus causes microcephaly and other birth defects.

Society Member Dee Quinn, MS, CGC, answered questions via Skype on the Zika virus during pregnancy for the live talk show “The Vibrant Gene,” served as an expert in the National Society of Genetic Counselors Zika Virus and Pregnancy Webinar, and was featured in a MedPage Today article, Pregnant Women With Zika Have Fetal Abnormalities.

Past President José Cordero, MD, MPH, spoke with CNN about why men planning to father children in the near future may want to avoid Zika-endemic areas.

Past President Sonja A. Rasmussen, MD, MS, and member Cynthia A. Moore, MD, PhD, are among the co-authors of Zika Virus Disease: A CDC Update for Pediatric Health Care Providers in the March 2016 issue of the journal Pediatrics.

Our sister society, OTIS MotherToBaby, maintains Zika Central, a section of their website devoted to providing the latest updates and guidance on Zika and pregnancy.

Please consult the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) Zika virus guidance and information below: