The 14 Miami cases mark the first time the Zika virus, which can cause birth defects and is considered particularly unsafe for pregnant women, is known to be spreading via local mosquitoes in the United States.
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Florida Department of Health conducted a community door-to-door survey in three locations around Miami, which led to the identification of the new cases. Pregnant women who live or work there should do everything possible to avoid mosquito bites.
And because the virus can linger in sperm, men should wait six months before attempting to impregnate a partner.
That travel advisory is also affecting worldwide tourists, with British officials warning their residents who are looking to have children to avoid any non-essential trips to Florida.
For months, we have watched as the Zika virus moved closer to us.
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.
“It’s very important to understand that those who are experiencing symptoms aren’t necessarily a good estimate of how many people have been infected”, Dr. Ricardo Lopez, an OBGYN with Orlando Health, told CBS News. “In Miami, aggressive mosquito control measures don’t seem to be working as well as we would have liked”.
They hope being able to accept blood from people who have traveled to a Zika-transmission area, like Florida and Mexico, will help bring donations up.
Georgia has two types of mosquitoes that can carry the disease, but few of the types of mosquitoes that are the better carrier of disease – the Aedes aegypti – he said. Officials there say at least 15 non-travel related Zika infections have been discovered in and around that area.
CDC Director Tom Frieden said mosquito control is hard in the neighborhood because it has industrial, commercial and residential development.
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Mosquito-control efforts in Miami’s Wynwood neighborhood have been hard because it’s a mixed-use area, where industrial sites are located next to a blend of residences and businesses, Frieden said.
