No new cases of locally transmitted Zika have been reported in the Wynwood zone since early August, and low numbers of mosquitoes have been found in traps there for the past several weeks since aerial application of pesticides, the CDC said.
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Florida health officials have identified 79 Zika cases, mostly in Wynwood and Miami Beach, that are not related to travel. “We saw the success of this hard work each time we announced a reduction of the zone in Wynwood, and we see it clearly today now that the entire Wynwood zone has been lifted”.
Scott announced the state is hosting “Dine Out Wynwood” on September 30 to “celebrate and show our support for local businesses in this area”.
But on Friday, health officials expanded the local transmission area for Miami Beach. The health department announced earlier Friday that a fifth mosquito sample from the zone had tested positive for the virus. The total affected area is now about 4.5 square miles. The newly-expanded Zika zone will be immediately swept for standing water, and larvicide spraying is set to begin on Saturday.
If a deal is reached, Zika response funding would be added to must-pass legislation meant to prevent a federal government shutdown this fall, the AP reported. But, the researchers say, the concentrations of dichlorvos released after aerial spraying are minuscule and dissipate into the atmosphere rapidly. Another 10 people who aren’t Florida residents also have contracted Zika in the state. “I am asking the CDC to provide Florida with an additional epidemiologist to support DOH’s efforts to combat and contain Zika and host a call with community leaders and clinicians in Miami Beach to answer questions and provide the latest guidance on Zika”, affirmed Scott.
The only beekeeper registered in Miami Beach, attorney Darius Asly, said he’s still concerned about the government’s handling of the fight against Zika.
At issue is the use of naled, an insecticide sprayed since the 1950s for mosquito control in the US It’s now being used in Miami Beach at levels deemed safe by the CDC and the US Environmental Protection Agency.
“I don’t want anything toxic inside of me or near me or in the air I breathe or in the flora and fauna that surrounds me”, said Miami Beach resident Maria de los Angeles.
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Scott also called on the US government to approve spending to arrest any future spread of the virus in Florida and elsewhere, including funds for mosquito abatement, education and testing for Zika.
