A second baby born in the U.S. has died from complications linked to the Zika virus, health officials in Texas said Tuesday.

The baby girl, born in Harris County with a serious Zika-caused birth defect called microcephaly, died shortly after birth. She is the second infant to die in the continential U.S. due to the virus, which is now spreading via mosquito bites in Florida and has infected nearly 2,000 people in the country.

The baby's mother was suspected of having been infected with the virus while traveling in Latin America during her pregnancy, county officials said.

"The saddest outcome of Zika's health effects often impact the most vulnerable," said Harris County Health Department Executive Director Umair Shah. "We are devastated to report our first case of Zika-associated death and our hearts go out to the family."

Most of the Zika cases around the country are travel-related, but officials are investigating 17 cases in the Miami area thought to be transmitted locally. The virus itself doesn't typically cause death or serious, long-term side effects in those infected, but it can cause serious disability in infants infected with it while in the womb.