The new cases announced by Florida today push the number of local Zika infections to 25.
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As the school year begins, Gov. Scott has directed the Florida Department of Health, the Florida Department of Education and the Florida Board of Governors to provide Zika prevention guidance and resources to students, parents, educators and district leaders statewide. “This is not up to Miami-Dade mosquito control and the Florida Department of Health”. It is also recommended that all pregnant women who reside in or travel frequently to the area where active transmission is likely occurring be tested for Zika in the first and second trimester. One of the men purportedly has co-workers who travel to Brazil frequently, where the Zika epidemic has been centered since past year. So far, 23 Palm Beach County residents have contracted the virus.
Last week, health officials lifted the travel warning advising pregnant women to avoid the 10-square-block area in the northwest corner.
State epidemiologist Tracy Murphy says most states have already reported travel-related Zika illnesses. These areas are notable for their extreme poverty and lack of infrastructure that could protect people from such an outbreak.
“We are going to put this money to work”, said Bill Meredith, director of Delaware’s mosquito control division.
There are three new non-travel related cases today in Miami-Dade County.
That’s the first area in the 50 states where a local mosquito has infected a person with the virus, which can cause catastrophic brain damage in fetuses.
Typically mosquitoes feast more prominently at dawn or dusk, but the Asian tiger mosquito is extremely active throughout the day. That includes 479 pregnant women. There is no vaccine to prevent infection and no specific antiviral treatment for Zika virus infection.
Another question is if the state is paying for Zika testing of undocumented pregnant women, she said. Microcephaly is a condition where a baby is born with an abnormally small head.
We do not know if there is a “safe” period during pregnancy when a mother could be infected and the child not suffer birth defects. Within the continental U.S., 479 pregnant women have been infected, and a further 901 pregnant women have also been infected in Puerto Rico.
Sample collection and door-to-door outreach continues.
There have been no confirmed cases of Zika linked to mosquito bites in Missouri. That means dumping out standing water, and wearing insect repellant and protective clothing.
This mosquito species lives primarily in warm climates, such as the Southern tier of the United States, Central and South America, and the Caribbean.
The Zika virus is posing a significant threat to the American people, and the nation should take precautions against its spread, President Barack Obama said August 4 at the Pentagon.
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Aside from mosquitoes, Zika can be spread through sexual contact in some cases, the CDC notes. The ongoing project still needs an additional $500 million to fully fund its research through 2017.
