Prof McConkey said women who were pregnant or thinking of pregnancy should not visit Miami if possible.
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As the USA sees an increase in Zika virus cases, particularly with the cases of local transmission in Florida, Texas continues to be proactive in its efforts to control this devastating virus. “I thank our residents for continuing to do their part to protect all Miamians and our visitors by draining standing water, using mosquito repellant and covering up when going outdoors, especially during early morning and evening hours”.
The $16 million, funded from the previously re-appropriated Ebola funds, is to help quickly notify families of resources, while helping to create a way to monitor and track developmental outcomes of the children impacted by the serious birth defect, characterized by an abnormally small head and brain, leading to significant developmental problems.
In adults, the virus is linked to a form of temporary paralysis called Guillain-Barré syndrome.
Williamson County and Cities Health District reports the second, third and fourth cases of Zika in Williamson County.
Zika virus spreads to people primarily through the bite of an infected Aedes species mosquito, but it can also be spread by infected men and women to their sex partners.
Specifically, the CDC recommended that pregnant women not travel to the identified area and that pregnant women who traveled to this area on or after June 15 should be tested for Zika.
It noted that while the Florida outbreak is “not considered widespread”, the area should still be avoided.
So far, 93 people in Texas are reported to have been infected.
“On the streets of Wynwood, where the virus was locally transmitted, reaction about the virus is mixed even among those who should be most concerned”, Valencia reported.
British officials also have advised pregnant women and couples looking to conceive to avoid non-essential trips to all of Florida and to some other parts of the USA because of the risk of contracting Zika.
Across the country, there are more than 1,600 travel-related cases of Zika.
Surveillance measures have been increased and the number of traps used to catch breeding mosquitoes have more than doubled, Pavlovich said.
In an unprecedented move, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has warned pregnant women to avoid the area. And the Food and Drug Administration has not given approval to that approach in the United States.
Armell Thomas, the programme manager for Vector Control and Port Health said, “We are aware of the instances of Zika in Miami and there has been some focus on the potential for Zika in Bermuda recently”. Officials have also stressed the importance of using strong insect repellent in Zika-affected regions. Included were: Alachua, Brevard, Broward, Charlotte, Citrus, Clay, Collier, Duval, Escambia, Highlands, Hillsborough, Lake, Lee, Manatee, Martin, Miami-Dade, Okaloosa, Okeechobee, Orange, Osceola, Palm Beach, Pasco, Pinellas, Polk, Santa Rosa, Seminole, St. Johns, St. Lucie and Volusia.
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The risk of contracting Zika as a result of the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro is extremely small, stated Vespignani. “We are developing an outreach campaign across phone, email and text in which we reach out directly to patients at risk to make sure they come in and get screened”, Anderson said.
