Florida’s caseload of Zika cases not related to travel outside the us has grown to 35, according to a statement Thursday from the state’s Department of Health.
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The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has added South Beach to its travel warning, telling pregnant women to avoid area after Zika transmissions were confirmed.
The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) also suggested on Friday that pregnant women who are especially anxious about exposure to Zika should consider avoiding all of Miami-Dade County in southern Florida.
In the agency’s statement, CDC Director Tom Frieden said it’s “difficult to predict how long active transmission will continue”.
Governor Rick Scott said there were five cases of Zika transmitted by mosquitoes in Miami Beach.
Confirmation that the Zika virus has infected several people in Miami Beach has led U.S. authorities to warn pregnant women not to travel to the Florida resort’s affected areas.
But he also attempted to underscore the city’s commitment to safeguard the health of tourists and residents.
A 1.5 square mile area, from the Intracoastal to the ocean, and from 28th Street down to Eighth Street. were named an active transmission zone on Friday.
Health officials say 36 people have been infected by the Zika virus in Wynwood and Miami Beach since July.
The escalation of the Zika crisis here sent tremors through the tourism industry and stoked the fears of pregnant women, anxious about the virus’ ability to cause severe brain damage in infants. The virus only causes mild, flu-like symptoms in most people, making it hard to confirm local transmissions, the CDC said.
The CDC now recommends that pregnant women avoid traveling to areas with active Zika transmissions and use condoms or abstain from sex if their partner has traveled to a Zika outbreak area in the last six months.
Scott said Florida has requested more support from the CDC.
As USA Today points out, the area Scott described covers “South Beach, the vibrant community that’s located across Biscayne Bay from the rest of Miami and known for its pastel-colored buildings and art deco architecture”.
Melvin Gaitan, from the Miami Beach Sanitation Dept., washes down alley ways Friday, Aug. 19, 2016, Miami Beach, Fla., with a high pressure water machine that is set to 250 degrees Fahrenheit, which kills any bacteria or mosquito larvae that could be growing in still waters. CDC officials expect Zika won’t get as widespread as it is in Central America.
Scott said he has directed state officials to provide educational materials and offer mosquito spraying at no cost to hotels, restaurants and attractions to fight Zika. Bushong said children infected with Zika in utero are subject to a host of defects including an illness that causes an “unusually small head circumference”.
Of all the individuals with Zika, 68 are pregnant women.
The new warnings represent a challenge to Florida’s multibillion dollar tourism industry, with Miami Beach accounting for almost half of visitor stays in the Greater Miami area. “We put this in place once the news started getting insane”. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has advised pregnant women to avoid the entire neighborhood.
The principle specifies that female travelers should postpone becoming pregnant for two months after their return, regardless of whether they develop suspected Zika symptoms.
Across the nation, a travel alert was issued for Florida, where there are 35 cases of local transmission of Zika.
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“These data show evidence for Zika virus transmission by means of [blood] platelet transfusion”, reported a team led by Dr. Iara Motta, of the Jose Alencar Gomes da Silva National Cancer Institute in Rio de Janeiro, and Bryan Spencer of the American Red Cross in Dedham, Mass.
