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Texas reports first Zika-related death

Newborn baby girl died shortly after she was born
Posted at 12:12 PM, Aug 09, 2016
and last updated 2016-08-09 13:28:06-04

(NBC NEWSCHANNEL) Texas is reporting its first death associated with the Zika virus.

Health officials in Harris County, Texas say a newborn baby girl died shortly after she was born with birth defects a few weeks ago.

This past Friday test results revealed the baby had the Zika virus.

The girl's mother was in El Salvador while pregnant, where doctors believe she became infected with Zika.

The mother traveled to the U.S. during her second trimester.

RELATED: More Zika coverage

Aedes aegypti mosquitoes are the primary transmitters of Zika virus.

"It's important to understand the behavior of the Aedes aegypti. They live in relatively clean water near homes. They range only a few hundred feet from where they breed. They are a daytime feeder. They stay near the ground," said Harris County Judge Ed Emmett.

There is no evidence mosquitoes in Texas are transmitting the Zika virus but doctors urge pregnant women especially to avoid mosquito bites.