Scott, who met with CDC officials in Miami last week, said he has yet to hear from the federal government on his requests for 10,000 Zika prevention kits for pregnant women or on a plan that would allow Florida access to funding through the Federal Emergency Management Agency.
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The disease can cause serious birth defects in babies born to infected mothers and has been linked to Guillain-Barre syndrome, which can cause paralysis.
The U.S. government declared a state of emergency in Puerto Rico on Friday responding to widespread transmission of the Zika virus.
According to Puerto Rico Department of Health, as of Aug 12 there have been 10,690 laboratory-confirmed cases of Zika in Puerto Rico. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services warned that the actual number of infections from the mosquito-borne virus could be much higher.
It’s important to note, Packard said, that although the Aedes aegypti do exist in the local environment, officials have not identified any Zika-related traces yet. The administration said on Thursday it had shifted $US81 million ($105 million) in funds from other projects to continue work on developing vaccines to fight Zika in the absence of any funding from United States lawmakers. According to experts interviewed for the report, Brazil has an “even lower” chance of beating the species of mosquito that carries the Zika virus today. Many people with the infection don’t show symptoms and wouldn’t know to get tested.
Galveston County officials and Judge Emmett emphasized that while as of yet there has been no locally-transmitted case of Zika in Texas, because the mosquito which carries the virus is present, the potential for outbreak always present.
The first known case of the Zika virus through sexual contact in the USA was reported earlier this year in Texas. “Finding out the Miami-Wynwood area was a hot zone for Zika was ‘a tough pill to swallow”, she said. That includes 57 cases involving pregnant women. We will continue our campaign to guide Puerto Ricans on the steps needed to prevent becoming infected with Zika; especially to prevent the virus from affecting pregnant women.
While the mounting tally of Zika infections by mosquito bite in Miami is drawing attention on the US mainland, Puerto Rico has been steeped in local transmission for months. The virus is spread by mosquitoes and by infected people through sexual intercourse.
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Dr. Vivek Murthy said during a visit to the US territory that local officials need to boost mosquito control efforts and make contraception more accessible and affordable.
