Florida health officials initially tested individuals in three locations in Miami-Dade and Broward counties, but ruled out two of those locations.
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USA regulators called for a halt to blood donations in the Miami area as investigators probe four potential non-travel associated cases of the Zika virus, which can cause birth defects.
Pregnant women and their male and female partners who live in the area should prevent mosquito bites and use proper sexual protection for the length of the pregnancy, or abstain from sex altogether.
This includes using an insect repellent with DEET, wearing long trousers and long sleeves, staying indoors with air conditioning or window screens, and eliminating all standing water in and outside of homes where mosquitoes could breed. A dozen microcephalic babies have been linked to Zika infections in the United States. They brought the total in the state to 14.
The new cases are clustered in the same square-mile neighborhood in Miami-Dade County identified last week.
Authorities are maintaining that the only source of infected mosquitoes come from a one square mile radius just north of Downtown Miami known as Wynwood and Mid Town.
Congress is on vacation until after Labor Day, and leaders of the House and Senate both said Friday that there was no reason for Congress to rush back, citing reports that $384 million remains available to fight the mosquito-borne virus.
“We have plenty of mosquitoes around here”, said Alberto Carreras of Miami. They were thought to be the first of their kind in the US. Mosquito control agent Larry Smart said he was not finding a lot of stagnant water. With the virus now being transmitted locally as well as to those traveling to impacted areas out of the country, there is a new dimension of risk for the virus to spread.
“The mosquitoes are here because there’s a lot of nature; a lot of trees, and grass, so there’s a lot of places that you find are empty lots like that; there’s nobody living here”, the resident said. “I’m guessing most women who are pregnant are doing that”. Women and men who have traveled to the affected area should wait eight weeks to conceive after their return, while men with symptoms should wait a full six months.
“Following today’s announcement, I have requested that the Centers for Disease Control activate their emergency response team to assist (the Department of Health) in their investigation, research and sample collection efforts”, Scott said.
“We’ve done really well with Dengue fever and Chikungunya”.
The team will consist of public health experts who will augment Florida’s response efforts, Scott said. But most of the time, those infected show no symptoms.
The Florida government also reminded residents that Zika is still most unsafe for pregnant women and babies – a danger that has prompted fears among American women outside of the state, too, according to recent reports.
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Most people who contract the virus will likely remain asymptomatic, according to the CDC, but “there is now enough evidence to conclude” that Zika can cause pregnancy complications that produce severe fetal abnormalities, including microcephaly, a rare condition that causes unusually small heads and lack of brain development in children.
