Health officials are also investigating two possibly non-travel-related cases of Zika, but have not released any more information on those cases in Miami-Dade and Broward. It has spread throughout Latin America, causing hundreds of birth defects among largely poor populations that are ill-equipped to handle them.
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Mosquito control crews have been working overtime responding to high concentrations of mosquitos, and some residents are learning that their bromeliad plants can be a breeding ground for the bugs.
Health officials said lab tests confirmed the patient’s infection, and there’s no apparent connection to travel outside the country.
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.
The Lexington-Fayette County Health Department said the mother never described symptoms of illness, but the results suggest the mother was infected during an early stage of pregnancy. While cases were linked to people who had traveled to other countries, state and federal officials have feared that the virus would start to be spread by mosquitoes in Florida and other parts the United States.
Tom Skinner, U. S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Senior Press Officer told CNN Thursday in response to the study’s findings, “the study would need to be replicated to have a better understanding of possible implications”. A medical epidemiologist from the U.S CDC, Marc Fischer, arrived on Friday in Florida to support in the department’s investigation with mapping and testing methodologies.
In an effort help fight the Zika virus, CDC will make awards totaling about $60 million to states, cities, and territories. Scientists have found so far no mosquitoes as carriers of the virus.
Though preliminary evidence suggests these cases of Zika are homegrown, investigators are not ruling out other possibilities. When planning a trip, find out if the destination has reported any cases of the virus.
A bite from an infected mosquito is, by far, the most common way for the Zika virus to be transmitted.
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The CDC recommends that people, especially pregnant women or women who might become pregnant, take precautions to protect themselves from mosquito bites that could infect them with Zika.
