Pregnant women should avoid all non-essential trips to Florida because of the potential to contract the Zika virus, United Kingdom officials have said, as thousands of Britons are expected to visit the popular tourist destination.
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But that was before the governor revealed the first cases of Floridians getting Zika within their own state, in all probability from infected mosquitos.
The Centers for Disease Control announced Friday that four cases of the Zika virus in Florida were likely transmitted from USA mosquito bites.
Workers told ABC 17 News one patient is a man and two others are non-pregnant women. Mosquitoes in the area are being collected and tested, but so far none have tested positive for Zika.
“All the evidence we have seen indicates that this is mosquito-borne transmission that occurred several weeks ago in several blocks in Miami”, said Tom Frieden, M.D., M.P.H., director of the U.S. Center for Disease Control.
“As we have anticipated, Zika is now here”, Frieden said.
So far, 1.650 Zika infections have been reported in the U.S. and four Florida based patients have tested positive for the virus from local mosquitoes.
“This is not just a Florida issue; it’s a national issue”.
“This is not just a Florida issue”.
Meanwhile, in the United Kingdom this week, three patients who had come back to Britain from overseas, tested positive for the virus at hospitals in Calderdale and Huddersfield, West Yorkshire.
In a statement, the agency believes a section of Miami north of downtown is where the transmission of the disease occurred.
Women who are pregnant or thinking of becoming pregnant should take extra precautions.
Public health officials say there are 15 confirmed cases of Zika in 10 different counties.
“There are a series of factors we’ll have to look at”.
Florida has seen a steady increase in Zika diagnoses in recent months, with the total number of cases nearing 400.
Because we are in mosquito season, CDC continues to encourage everyone, especially pregnant women and women planning to become pregnant, to protect themselves from mosquito bites.
Zika infection poses significant risks to pregnant women, because it can cause the birth defect called microcephaly, which results in babies born with undersized heads and underdeveloped brains. There is no vaccine. There have been thousands of Zika-related cases of microcephaly in babies in Brazil.
Florida’s governor said Friday, July 29, that the state likely has the first cases of Zika transmitted by mosquitoes on the USA mainland. The four people appear to have been infected in early July; since then, mosquito control efforts have been stepped up in the area, and additional cases have not been identified. These include using an insect repellent with DEET, wearing long trousers and long-sleeve shirts, staying indoors with air conditioning, and eliminating all standing water. Fever, rash, joint pain and red eyes are the most common symptoms, but 80 percent of people who have the virus don’t show symptoms.
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Dr. Morshed can’t say the same for areas somewhat closer to Florida, like Southern Ontario or Quebec, because mosquito species can differ between provinces.
