So far, the almost 1,700 Zika infections reported in the United States mainly have been linked to travel to countries with Zika outbreaks in Latin America or the Caribbean.
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“It’s going to mosquito eradication, it’s going to lab testing, it’s going to boots on the ground to get rid of standing water… whatever people are doing, if they need more then they can come to us”.
Although mosquitoes capable of carrying the virus have been discovered in at least 12 California counties, there is no evidence the mosquitoes are transmitting Zika in the state, CDPH officials said.
This comes as the virus continues to spread. President Barack Obama early this year requested $1.9 billion in Zika funding.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has issued a travel alert, urging women who are pregnant or thinking of becoming pregnant to postpone travel to Zika-affected areas.
Zika virus can spread through mosquito bites, and common symptoms include fever, rash, joint pain and red eyes. If Oxitec’s bugs mix with native mosquito populations, they could help thin the population of Ae aegypti in Florida, which could reduce transmission of Zika, dengue, and chikungunya viruses. “That’s why we take it so seriously”.
It also advised women to use protection during sex because the virus can be transmitted sexually.
A promising Zika vaccine developed by the Walter Reed Institute is effective in monkeys, researchers said Thursday in the journal Science, and is being fast-tracked for human clinical trials.
This week the nation along with the state made big goals in the fight to combat the spread of Zika virus.
Governor Rick Scott seemed confident in the state’s efforts to control the problem, but he wants federal assistance.
Florida has all hands on deck in the battle against Zika and the mosquitoes that carry it, with aerial insecticide spraying beginning in parts of Miami.
Authorities sought to quell any concerns about safety from the chemical when sprayed appropriately, noting Naled has always been used in controlling mosquitoes in Miami-Dade County and around Florida.
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Although the state of Florida has reported several locally transmitted cases in that state, this is not the situation in Louisiana. “We do not expect the need for these funds, but I am glad to ensure the state is prepared to respond immediately to the virus”.
