For the first time since the Zika virus outbreak struck Cape Verde in October last year, health officials are reporting the first case of microcephaly in newborn with probable relationship to Zika virus, according to a RFI report (computer translated).

Image/CDC
Image/CDC

National health director, Tomás Valdez said during a press conference in Praia, “This is the first probable complication of a situation of suspected Zika virus resulting from a pregnancy of a mother who reported having manifested signs and symptoms compatible with Zika virus infection.” The infant showed clinical conditions of microcephaly.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Microcephaly is a condition where a baby’s head is much smaller than expected. During pregnancy, a baby’s head grows because the baby’s brain grows. Microcephaly can occur because a baby’s brain has not developed properly during pregnancy or has stopped growing after birth, which results in a smaller head size. Microcephaly can be an isolated condition, meaning that it can occur with no other major birth defects, or it can occur in combination with other major birth defects.

The Zika epidemic in Cape Verde was officially declared on 22 October 2015 and 7,457 suspected cases were recorded through March 6, 2016 .

Related: