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0 of 3 Premium Clicks used this month SUBSCRIBE Print + Online Subscriber Activation | Register x Forgot Password | Need an Account? e-edition | subscribe | newsletter | deals Classifieds Jobs Autos Real Estate FEATURED » NEWS NOW 2 Hermiston high school coaches killed in shooting, teen found dead ... Group pushes for LNG pipeline in ads ... Clad for a cause ... 2 Hermiston high school coaches killed in shooting, teen found dead ... Group pushes for LNG pipeline in ads ... Clad for a cause ... The threat of Zika is reshaping operations at hospitals across the country The threat of Zika virus is reshaping operations at hospitals across the country, as medical teams rush to figure out how best to provide care for pregnant women with the disease and monitor and treat babies with related brain damage. Comment By Andrew Joseph, STAT Business Insider MailTribune.com By Andrew Joseph, STAT Business Insider Posted Aug. 18, 2016 at 12:38 PM By Andrew Joseph, STAT Business Insider Posted Aug. 18, 2016 at 12:38 PM » Social News The threat of Zika virus is reshaping operations at hospitals across the country, as medical teams rush to figure out how best to provide care for pregnant women with the disease and monitor and treat babies with related brain damage. With scientists still trying to better understand the virus — and without any treatments available — hospitals have been forced to adapt to a changing Zika outbreak, particularly in states such as Florida , Texas , and New York that are at risk for local transmission or have seen large numbers of travel-related cases. Hospitals say they have built up their diagnostic tools, started performing more regular ultrasounds for patients, and are keeping closer-than-usual watch on amniotic fluid levels and fetal heart rates. Social workers and physical, speech, and occupational therapists are preparing to work with babies born with Zika-associated defects, should they require their care. “We don’t really know what to expect fully from Zika at this point,” said Dr. Gary Clark, the chief of neurology at Texas Children’s Hospital in Houston. “We’re trying to prepare ourselves for a virus that seems to infect the nervous system quite prominently in multiple ways.” The number of babies born with Zika-related defects in US states remains low: only 16, so far, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. But 510 pregnant women overall have contracted the virus and many of them have yet to deliver their babies. Scientists still don’t know exactly what percentage of pregnant women infected with Zika will give birth to children with defects. That unknown, however, is only one of the mysteries of Zika, which is primarily spread by mosquitoes but can also be transmitted through sex . Scientists are still learning not only about the virus and how it passes from mother to fetus, but also about the ways in which it can affect those who contract it. To bridge the gap, hospital officials say they have assigned doctors to keep up with the growing body of literature and confer with public health agencies. They are also bringing together obstetricians trained in high-risk pregnancies, pediatrician specialists, and virologists and other biomedical researchers. In Miami — the only city in the continental US to see Zika cases spread by local mosquitoes — pediatricians and obstetrician-gynecologists are working hand-in-hand when caring for pregnant women with Zika, said Dr. Christine Curry, an obstetrician-gynecologist at the University of Miami and Jackson Memorial Hospital. They review ultrasound results together, coordinate long-term planning with specialists and the mothers-to-be, and alert doctors on call when to expect a birth from a Zika patient. “When the mom comes for a delivery, the pediatric team has already seen what’s going on,” Curry said. “Usually a pediatrician learns about a kid when they get a page and they come and we hand them a baby.” Doctors say they don’t have good answers yet to the most pressing questions they get from pregnant patients, including if their fetuses are at risk throughout the pregnancy or only certain stages, and how likely their children are to have some sort of developmental problem. By Andrew Joseph, STAT Business Insider MailTribune.com By Andrew Joseph, STAT Business Insider Posted Aug. 18, 2016 at 12:38 PM » Comment or view comments Reader Reaction » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. 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