Eisenberg said that paying attention to past outbreaks of locally transmitted dengue, rather than the mere presence of these mosquitoes, can give researchers a better guess as to the areas most vulnerable to local transmission of Zika. And Zika may be sexually transmitted from one human to another.
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“We don’t have the funds to go out there and implement a complete eradication effort”, said Steve Mulligan, manager of the Consolidated Mosquito Abatement District that covers Clovis.
As the health department reported three new local Zika infections in Miami-Dade and 12 new travel-related cases elsewhere in the state on Wednesday, a national health advocacy group accused Broward officials of forcing the removal of two billboards promoting condom use to prevent sexual transmission of the virus. This transmission is likely confined to a one-square-mile area north of downtown Miami, the CDC said.
The unidentified traveler had returned from the area of Miami where local transmission of the mosquito-borne virus has been reported, and sought testing after becoming ill, state health officials said in a statement Monday.
A Snohomish County woman in her 40s has tested positive for the Zika virus according to results released to the Snohomish Health District.
Global health officials suspect a connection between pregnant woman catching the virus and a birth defect called microcephaly in newborns. California has had 153 travel-associated infections as of Friday.
There are three new non-travel related cases Wednesday. It’s a cooperation between the district, the University of Kentucky, MosquitoMate Inc., and the University of California Mosquito Research Laboratory in Parlier.
To a lesser degree, the conditions are present in the Wynwood neighborhood of Miami, where more than two dozen people have been diagnosed with the disease. These mosquitoes often live in homes and bite during the day, Eisenberg said.
“We must do what we can to reduce their numbers as quickly as possible”.
Aedes aegypti mosquitoes are common in Southwest Florida anywhere discarded containers can hold water. “We need a coordinated global response”.
Money for health education and prevention also is stretched. Over 10,000 tables are placed throughout the county on an annual basis.
“This is a public health threat”, he said.
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Costa told the vector control and health officials he understands their frustration.
