Aedes aegypti, the species of mosquito that spreads the Zika virus, has been found in 30 states.
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Many walking the streets recently were unaware the virus had spread and confused about how the disease is transmitted. “For women who live or work in the impacted area and are either pregnant or thinking of becoming pregnant, I urge you to contact your OB/GYN for guidance and to receive a Zika prevention kit”.
“There’s nothing in that area yet”, Spindle said Monday of Manatee County.
The health department said it believes active transmission of Zika is restricted to 1 square-mile (2.6 square km) area in Miami-Dade County, just north of downtown Miami. The virus is the first mosquito-borne illness known to cause birth defects, according to Frieden, as it has led to an increase in cases of microcephaly, a devastating condition in which infants are born with unusually small head sizes and brain abnormalities. Anyone who lives in or has traveled to the neighborhood and is pregnant or has a pregnant partner is also advised to use condoms if they have sex, or they should avoid sex entirely during pregnancy.
Of the 14 individuals identified, two are women and 12 are men.
There have been 14 confirmed Zika virus infections in the immediate North Miami area, according to Time.
Women with Zika should wait at least 8 weeks and men with Zika should wait at least 6 months after symptoms began to try to get pregnant. This remains the only area of the state where the health department has confirmed ongoing local transmissions of Zika.
All 14 cases are thought to have occurred in Miami’s Wynwood arts district, a trendy, fast-gentrifying neighbourhood of warehouses, art galleries, restaurants and boutiques.
He said it was possible that mosquitoes are resistant to insecticides now being used, or that they may have hidden breeding areas that haven’t been found yet.
On Friday, Florida agricultural officials immediately announced more aggressive mosquito-control efforts, and Florida politicians rushed to assure tourists it’s still safe to visit the state.
Florida Governor Rick Scott, meanwhile, has called for a federal emergency response team to help state authorities contain the virus.
Symptoms of the Zika Virus include a rash, fever, joint pain, pink eye, and more.
Rosemary LeBranch was doing laundry in Wynwood when health officials came to her house a few days ago and took urine samples from her, her daughter and her father.
He had already spoken with a doctor and was advised to wear long shirts and trousers outdoors. “It’s kind of freaky – there’s so much going on we didn’t know, didn’t really think about it … I might wear bug spray going forward”.
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A similar team was sent to Utah earlier this month to investigate how a person may have become infected while caring for a Zika-infected patient, before local officials went public with the case.
