“We are devastated to report our first case of Zika-associated death and our hearts go out to the family”, Shah said.
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County officials said the Florida Department of Health is allocating $26,582 to the county’s mosquito management program.
The Florida Department of Health has identified 17 positive cases of the Zika virus within a square-mile area just north of downtown Miami in the Wynwood neighborhood, The Wall Street Journal reports.
It’s the only area where active Zika transmissions have been taking place, according to a separate statement from Florida’s Department of Health.
As of July 29, CDPH has confirmed 114 travel-associated Zika virus infections in 22 counties.
The virus has been seen to cause birth defects, including developmental problems and microcephaly. In Florida, four new cases were reported today.
Currently, the DSHS is coordinating with the Harris County Public Health and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to follow the cases.
The Zika virus disease is mainly spread by mosquitoes and it is usually not harmful to people. Democratic presidential candidate, Hillary Clinton, who visited Miami while on the campaign trail on Tuesday, has called upon Congress to immediately return to Washington and pass legislation to provide emergency funding for testing, treatment, and research on the Zika virus, according to Newser.
The virus was first discovered in 1947 and is named after the Zika Forest in Uganda.
Zika-related brain damage in fetuses “is one of the saddest congenital birth outcomes imaginable”, said Peter Hotez, dean of the National School of Tropical Medicine at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston. All are related to traveling overseas in areas where the virus can be transmitted.
“The Aedes aegypti mosquito does not travel more than 150 meters in its lifetime, and often quite a bit less than that”, Frieden said.
Zika virus is widespread in countries located in the Caribbean and Latin America. “But unlike some things like West Nile and encephalitis that can lead to death, the good news is if you’re not looking to be pregnant, it’s not going to risk your life, like some of the other diseases we have”. The most common symptoms of Zika are fever, rash, joint pain and conjunctivitis (red eyes).
John Lanza spoke to the Pensacola Rotary Club Tuesday on the Zika virus and the fight against it.
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County commissioners were told the process will take a long time and pregnant women will continue to be advised not to travel into Wynwood.
