However, as of August 11, 2016, there have been no reported cases of Zika contracted from a mosquito bite in Missouri and there is only one neighborhood located in Miami where Zika is being spread by mosquitoes in the U.S.
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That’s on top of 10 blocks of the Wynwood neighborhood officials cleared last week, though cases totals have continued to climb since officials last month announced the first cases of Zika’s spread by mosquitoes in the continental U.S.
Florida’s Department of Health says active transmission has been only happening in a 1-square-mile area encompassing Miami’s Wynwood arts district.
The testing revealed that, in fact, one of their team members was tested positive for the Zika virus.
But the health department said an “investigation is beginning” in another area of Miami-Dade County, which it did not identify.
Thursday’s new travel-related cases mainly involve residents in Broward County with 17 new confirmations there.
Many people have the Zika Virus without even knowing it. State and federal health officials believe Zika transmission is contained to an area under a square mile.
Six blocks had previously been cleared from the original area.
“If the department finds evidence that active transmission is occurring in an area, we will notify the media and the public”. While the illness typically resolves within a week, some severe cases may require hospitalization.
Because the first confirmed case involved travel, Clay County residents do not need to have immediate concern, said Aaron Smullin, a communications specialist with the Clay County Public Health Center. But it can cause severe brain-related defects, including disastrously small heads, if women are infected during pregnancy.
There is only one neighborhood in Miami where Zika is being spread by mosquitoes in the U.S. The CDC has reported 14 cases of sexually transmitted infections. “Harris County Public Health continues to actively work on protecting the community from mosquito-related diseases, but individuals must also protect themselves from getting bitten by mosquitoes locally and overseas”.
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The best way to prevent Zika illness is to avoid traveling to Zika-affected areas which include countries ranging from Mexico to the Caribbean, and both Central America and South America.
