Mosquitoes are actively transmitting the Zika virus in Miami Beach, sources aware of conversations that took place Thursday between Florida state health representatives and local officials have reportedly told the Miami Herald. Both of these cases are local transmissions through mosquito bites and brings the total number of local transmissions of Zika to 30 in Florida.
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Haiti has identified its first case of the birth defect microcephaly linked to the Zika virus, a senior health ministry official said on Tuesday.
Florida officials said they are investigating the origin of seven of the new cases, which appear to be related neither to Wynwood nor to foreign travel.
She said investigations are ongoing in “areas in Miami-Dade and Palm Beach Counties where local transmissions of Zika may have occurred”.
Citing the two new locally transmitted cases, Gov. Rick Scott has directed the Department of Health and the state Department of Business and Professional Regulation to work with hotels, restaurants and other businesses in Miami-Dade on Zika prevention and education. Businesses in Wynwood suffered in the weeks following Zika’s arrival in the neighborhood, with at least one venue – the Wynwood Yard – temporarily shutting its doors and others griping about non-stop media coverage hurting foot traffic.
Zika virus infections in pregnant women are directly linked to fetal deaths and devastating birth defects such as microcephaly, when a baby is born with an abnormally small head, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
The prospect of closing Miami Beach has been a major concern for officials, as the area is heavily dependent on tourism that draws in $24 billion annually.
Rick Scott addresses the media during a round-table discussion about the Zika virus August 1 in St. Petersburg. The mosquito that carries Zika has been found in portions of Riverside County, including Corona, Riverside, the Coachella Valley and parts of the San Jacinto Valley.
Florida Gov. Rick Scott says officials have identified a second area of Zika transmission on the US mainland.
Two of those cases are in Polk County.
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The Zika cases reported by The Yard were collected by the Department of Health last Thursday, the release says. But if you have persisting achey joints and live in a Zika affected area, or have another one of the symptoms, it’s best to make an appointment with your doctor and get tested for the virus.
