Rick Scott said that in at least four cases, three men and one woman, have caught the bug locally, meaning it was passed by mosquitos in the United States.
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“While no mosquitoes trapped tested positive for the Zika virus, the department believes these cases were likely transmitted through infected mosquitoes in this area”, the department declared in a news release.
Florida now has 383 travel-related Zika cases, meaning someone had visited an area outside the continental USA, got sick with the disease and then came back. They have expected local transmission of Zika in particular in Southern states such as Florida and Texas, where the Aedes aegypti mosquito that can transmit Zika is most commonly found. Mosquitoes are the main form of transmission of Zika.
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As of Wednesday, there were more than 1,658 confirmed cases of Zikia in the continental U.S. and 4,750 in U.S. territories, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services reported Friday.
However, mosquito control measures such as air conditioning, use of window and door screens and bug repellant are likely to prevent Zika from becoming established in the United States.
“They are all active Zika cases, and have not exhibited symptoms to be admitted to the hospital”, he said.
It’s the only part of the state now being tested for potential local transmissions of Zika, Scott said.
There have been a total of 386 Zika cases in Florida, all of which involved patients who had traveled to affected countries. As of Friday morning, the Department of Health’s website said the state had 331 travel-related cases that did not involve pregnant women.
More than 106 million people visited Florida last year, which was the fifth consecutive record year for visitations, according to Visit Florida, an organization that promotes tourism in the Sunshine State.
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The state has embarked on a public education campaign, encouraging Texans to lower their risk of infection by staying indoors, wearing insect repellent containing DEET and eliminating standing water. “Just like with a hurricane, we have worked hard to stay ahead of the spread of Zika and prepare for the worst”. Federal officials subsequently told all blood donation centers to stop accepting supply until it can be tested.
