In addition, 16 new travel related cases were reported today, five in Miami-Dade, three in Palm Beach, two in Broward, two in Orange, one in Polk and three involving pregnant women. Zika cases have been reported in 35 of Florida’s 67 counties. The majority of cases, 545 as of Monday, are travel-related, meaning individuals contracted the virus outside of Florida but then traveled to the state. The number for the Zika Virus Information Hotline is 1-855-622-6735. Only one of Tuesday’s three new cases was linked to Miami Beach, which is known to be an active area for local Zika transmission.
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At Monday’s meeting in Naples, the governor reiterated his message about being proactive when it comes to combating mosquito-borne diseases, urging the public to use repellant, wear long clothing to guard against bites, and pushing to eliminate standing water (the breeding ground for the Aedes Aegypti mosquito that carries the Zika virus).
The Zika virus was first detected in Brazil past year and has since spread across the Americas.
In the Virgin Islands, local transmission of Zika was reported on the island of Tortola, which includes Cane Garden Bay and Havers, though it is not clear from the CDC’s guidance how many people have been infected by mosquitoes.
The state has also reported 75 cases of Zika involving pregnant women. Children with evidence of congenital Zika virus infection who have normal initial screening tests should receive regular follow-up, because onset of hearing loss associated with other congenital viral infections can be delayed and the loss can be progressive. Officials on the island have reported reported more than 14,000 cases, including 1,244 among pregnant women.
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Does not include local cases.
