It is said that this is possibly the first non-travel related Zika infection in the United States.
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There have been four travel-related cases of Zika confirmed in New Mexico. “A lot of people don’t realize that a plant like that is renowned for mosquitoes”. “Officials from Florida participated in all these activities, and their experience in responding to mosquito-borne diseases similar to Zika, including dengue and chikungunya, has been an important source of knowledge in this effort”, the CDC said.
Larry Smart, a Miami-Dade County mosquito control inspector, uses a fogger to spray pesticide to kill mosquitos in an effort to stop a possible zika outbreak in Miami. Some stores also offer clothing pre-treated with the chemical. With 80 percent Zika-infected people not showing symptoms, its spread can fly somewhat under the radar.
For now it is conjecture, but Polk County officials held a tabletop exercise earlier this month to simulate how a myriad of agencies will respond when a locally transmitted case emerges here. O’Neal said he’s more focused on areas like Central or Latin America which are now experiencing summer with mosquito season in full swing. “We are monitoring the baby’s health closely and connecting the family with the necessary services to take care of their child”. And while this has piqued the interest of media, officials are playing it coy and releasing precious few details, apart from the fact that Florida’s state Department of Health is working closely with the USA government’s Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to investigate into the matter. The presence of the virus in these mosquitoes does not mean they can transmit the virus. In some cases it can cause birth defects, such as microcephaly, a rare condition in which an infant’s head is much smaller than usual. Vasquez says, “We’re trying to be as aggressive as possible”.
The CDC said this week that it has provided $2 million for Zika preparedness and another $5.6 million was just allotted, the newspaper reported. Most of the cases have been from travelers that came from countries where the virus is spreading. He’s concerned Zika may already be established in mosquitoes in Florida, Texas and other states along the Gulf Coast.
Florida health officials are capturing and testing mosquitoes in the neighborhoods where the two unidentified patients live.
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“Any time we’re going outside or going to be outside for a while then I bring it with us”, said Johnson, of New Orleans.
