Florida’s Department of Health says there’s no evidence of mosquitoes transmitting Zika elsewhere in Miami.
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This week the nation along with the state made big goals in the fight to combat the spread of Zika virus.
A new non-travel related case of the Zika virus has been identified in the 1-square-mile area of Miami-Dade County where health officials believe the disease is being transmitted by mosquitoes, the Florida Department of Health said.
In California two babies have been born with Zika virus defects, one of them being born in Berkeley. It can cause balance problems, developmental delays and seizures.
U.SS. health officials have said they don’t expect widespread outbreaks, such as those that have occurred in parts of Latin America and the Caribbean.
Health officials said there have been no confirmed cases of locally transmitted Zika virus in Louisiana.
One of the two mothers gave birth in California and then returned to her home country with her infant, officials said.
The IDPH and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention both recommended earlier this week that pregnant women avoid traveling to Wynwood near Miami, Florida, where mosquitos are spreading Zika virus.
But the state’s health officer, Tom Miller, says it’s “very likely” Alabama will have local transmission of the virus through mosquitoes similar to what Florida is experiencing.
Zika virus can spread through mosquito bites, and common symptoms include fever, rash, joint pain and red eyes. The state now has the capacity to test 6,239 people for active Zika virus and 1,840 for Zika antibodies. In fact, one neighborhood in Miami is the only spot in the continental USA to have Zika cases caused by local mosquito bites.
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All told, almost 1,700 cases have been reported nationwide, including more than 370 in Florida. People are being infected in ever-increasing numbers, and yet no action, or even assuring words from the leadership on Capitol Hill.
