Florida health officials have said that the infections may not be linked to travel outside the USA, but they haven’t confirmed how the virus spread.
Advertisement
Should the investigation turn out that the two cases were locally transmitted, it would be the first locally-transmitted cases of Zika in the continental U.S.
For blood collection establishments outside of this region, FDA suggests that donors who have traveled to Miami-Dade and Broward Counties during the previous four weeks be deferred.
There’s no need to avoid traveling to south Florida, said Surgeon General Vivek Murthy.
That would change if Florida experiences a major Zika epidemic.
Zika virus is spread to people primarily through the bite of a mosquito. “Most people who are infected will not have any symptoms”. “The numbers, I believe, are highly unreliable due to under reporting and under testing”.
Mara Gambineri, spokeswoman for the Florida Department of Health, said smaller blood banks were working toward implementing Zika screens as well.
An anti Zika virus kit, including a bug net, mosquito repellent, condoms, literature and anti mosquito dunks, is pictured in this April 29, 2016 photo illustration. “What we are going to do is work closely with Florida [on] identifying any local cases”. “That’s the safest thing we can do for our patients”. Officials have not released the counties where those women live. The southern areas that are hospitable to Aedes already have mosquito control efforts in place to deal with other, better-known mosquito-borne viruses.
“Since we do not have the two primary vectors of Zika, risk to residents is very low at this time”, said Gary Goodman, manager of the district.
There has been no confirmation whether those cases were actually the first cases of the virus transmitted by mosquitoes in the United States. CDC researchers have concluded that Zika virus is a cause of microcephaly and other birth defects.
Zika is only one of several diseases that can be spread by mosquitoes.
Mosquito-control measures include spraying for mosquitoes, dumping standing water and educating the public about mosquito prevention. While 80 percent of those infected with WNV will have no symptoms and not realize they have been infected, it is still important to take personal precautions to prevent contracting the virus.
Officials say the preliminary results are positive but they are waiting on the confirmatory results. “The investigation should be very straightforward”, he said.
Advertisement
The four cases are in neighboring Miami-Dade and Broward counties.
