Zika News: Pregnant Teen from Connecticut Shares 'Heartbreaking' Story of Getting the Infection

A pregnant teen from Connecticut has just been tested for the dreaded mosquito-borne Zika virus often linked to a number of birth defects especially, microcephaly- a neurodegenerative condition among babies characterized by unusually small heads.

Seventeen-year-old Sara Mujica went to Honduras to visit her fiancé' in March. She thought that her rashes, headaches, and neck aches were just reactions to fish she had consumed. Upon returning to the US, she went to Danbury Hospital to get Zika test. However, last week's laboratory test results revealed that she had been infected with Zika, a global epidemic that has affected much of Latin America and the Caribbean.

"I was in a state of shock honestly," Mujica said as quoted by CBS News. "I didn't really know what to say. I didn't know what to do. I just started getting teary eyed and almost crying. I was just trying to stay strong."

Her trip to Honduras also coincided with the surge of Zika outbreaks that swept much of Latin America in the past few months from Mexico to Paraguay. Documented Zika cases in the US were all traced back to Americans who recently traveled to Zika-affected countries. Some Latin American governments like Brazil have asked women to delay their pregnancy while the Zika outbreak shows no signs of abating.

Despite the likelihood of having a baby with severe birth defects, the Catholic devout Mujica said she will keep the baby.

"I'm going to stay positive and hope my baby comes out normal... I would never give up a Down syndrome child or a child with birth defects," Mujica added as quoted by Global News.

According to the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Mujica is one of the 44 pregnant women across the US who have been identified as Zika positive. Overall, there are a total of 472 people in the US who are reportedly infected with the virus, ABC News reported.