The U.S. Centers for Disease Control warned pregnant women Monday not to travel to an area in the southeastern state of Florida where new cases of Zika virus infections have been identified.
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“I strongly encourage pregnant women and women trying to become pregnant to avoid travel to areas where Zika virus transmission is occurring”, states Dr. Edward Moreno, Health Officer and Director of Public Health.
Florida health officials said they’ve tested more than 200 people in Miami-Dade and Broward Counties after reports of local transmissions of the virus in early July.
More than 1,650 people in the mainland USA have been infected with Zika in recent months, almost all while traveling overseas. Pregnant women and their male and female partners who live in the area should prevent mosquito bites and use proper sexual protection for the length of the pregnancy, or abstain from sex altogether.
In response, Governor Rick Scott has asked the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to activate an Emergency Response Team to help the Florida Department of Health (DOH) investigate.
“This remains the only area of the state where DOH has confirmed there are ongoing local transmissions of Zika”, Scott’s statement said.
Officials said the 14 cases of locally transmitted Zika are all confined to a one-square-mile area north of downtown Miami. Officials say Zika is not a serious health concern for most people who get it, but it can have devastating consequences for pregnant women and their babies.
Florida announced a second wave of Zika cases from local mosquitoes. It has been found to cause birth defects including microcephaly and other serious brain anomalies, according to the journal.
Although the CDC issued a similar travel warning for Puerto Rico in January because of widespread transmission on the island, this is the first time the agency has issued such a travel advisory for the continental U.S., Frieden said.
It also recommended that women avoid getting pregnant for up to eight weeks after returning from the affected area. “Most people who go to southern Florida today are not going to be bitten by a mosquito that’s infected”, he says.
He said a full emergency response team – which include experts in epidemiology, vector control and logistics – will be on the ground in Florida on Tuesday.
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Merced County health authorities advised residents to protect themselves and their families from Zika virus by taking steps to avoid being bitten by mosquitoes. Based on that evidence, the CDC advises men with Zika to wait at least six months before trying to conceive.
