The baby's mother was infected while in an area known to have mosquitoes transmitting the virus. Checkey Beckford reports. (Published Friday, July 22, 2016) 
 
 What to Know Physicians have requested testing for more than 2,000 pregnant woman who have traveled to areas of active Zika transmission 
 
 There have been more than 300 confirmed cases of Zika in New York City 
 
 The species of mosquito most commonly associated with Zika's spread hasn't been found in the tri-state, but a similar species lives here. 
 
 A baby with Zika-related microcephaly has been born at a New York City hospital, marking the first such delivery in the five boroughs, according to health officials. 
 
 The baby's mother was infected while in an area known to have mosquitoes transmitting the virus, the health department said. She and the baby, who has been diagnosed with a smaller-than-normal head and other brain problems, are being monitored by physicians, authorities said. 
 
 The baby did test positive for Zika, and the health department said it is working closely with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on the case. 
 
 According to the CDC, 12 babies have been born in the U.S. with Zika-related birth defects, including one in New Jersey. Some babies with no immediate signs of problems also have been born in the U.S. to Zika-infected mothers. 
 
 Herminia Palacia, deputy mayor for Health and Human Services, said the city has been preparing for a case for months, "and we stand ready to help families caring for an infant with microcephaly. This is a sad reminder that Zika can have tragic consequences for pregnant women." 
 
 Earlier this week, health officials said physicians have requested testing for more than 2,000 pregnant women who have traveled to areas where there is active Zika transmission. Forty-one of them have tested positive. 
 
 Pregnant women also continue to be tested for Zika if their sexual partners have traveled to an afflicted area. Virtually all of South and Central America and the Caribbean is considered a hotbed for transmission of the virus. 
 
 In addition to sexual contact, the virus is spread through specific species of mosquitoes. 
 
 NY Travelers Cautious Over Zika Virus 
 
 A mosquito-borne virus that's been linked to birth defects is raising fears among some travelers to South America. Michael George has more. (Published Friday, Jan. 15, 2016) 
 
 The mosquito species most commonly associated with Zika's spread is not found in the tri-state, but a similar species that scientists think could transmit the disease inhabits the area. 
 
 New York City health officials have said they've been monitoring populations of the insect and applying pesticides to keep mosquito-borne diseases at bay. ||||| The first baby infected by the Zika virus has been born in a New York City hospital, officials announced on Friday. 
 
 The baby, whose identity was not revealed, was born earlier this month with an unnaturally small head — which is known as microcephaly and is a tell-tale sign of the virus — and later tested positive for Zika, officials said. 
 
 "Obviously we are very saddened by this news," Deputy Mayor of Health and Human Services Dr. Herminia Palacio said at a Manhattan press conference on Friday. 
 
 But she said because of the city’s large immigrant population and high amount of international travelers, “We are not surprised." 
 
 Florida Zika case could signal first infected mosquitos in U.S. 
 
 She said the city has been prepping for the scenario for “many months,�? and are prepared to care for the newborn and his mom. 
 
 "We are working diligently to help both this mom and this baby," Palacio said. 
 
 She refused to give out any details of the mother and baby — including what borough they live in and what hospital the baby was born in — due to privacy concerns. 
 
 Palacio did say that the mother had recently traveled to a Zika-affected area, but wouldn’t say where exactly. 
 
 Family member of Utah Zika-patient infected with Zika virus 
 
 The mosquito-borne Zika virus causes microcephaly, a disease that causes physical deformities and learning disabilities. (Jefferson Siegel/New York Daily News) 
 
 Nearly all of South and Central America, as well as the Caribbean, have been hit hard but the Zika outbreak, and the Health Department has urged travelers not to travel to those places if they are trying to conceive. 
 
 Health Commissioner Mary Bassett said this "sad occurrence" should serve as a reminder for women pregnant or trying to become pregnant. 
 
 "I think having a baby born in our city should make real for all of us that this is not a theoretical risk," she said. 
 
 “It is a risk that affects us right here in New York City.�? 
 
 First case of Zika infection through female-to-male sex reported 
 
 Bassett, noting the large number of New Yorker South and Central American descent, acknowledged that staying out of the Zika-infected areas could be hard for people. 
 
 "We're an immigrant city. Nearly half of our population was born somewhere else and the tradition is to go somewhere else," she said. 
 
 "It's not a simple thing to stop doing what you always do … especially when the risk seems only theoretical, as something you only see on television.�?
– New York City's first baby with a Zika-related birth defect was born earlier this month, officials announced Friday. The New York Daily News reports the unidentified baby was born with microcephaly and subsequently tested positive for Zika. Its mother had recently traveled to an area were the virus is being spread by mosquitoes. New York City's deputy mayor of health and human services says the city has been preparing for this eventuality for months due to New York's many immigrants and international travelers. "We are working diligently to help both this mom and this baby," she says. The CDC says a dozen babies with Zika-related birth defects have been born in the US so far, according to NBC New York.