If confirmed, the case, in Miami-Dade County would the first documented one from a mosquito bite received on the US mainland. The department is actively conducting an epidemiological investigation, is collaborating with the Centers for Disease Control and will share additional details as they become available.
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As of Wednesday, there have been 284 Zika cases reported in Florida that are not travel related and do not involve pregnant women.
Though the Zika virus originated in some far-off land, cases of the mosquito-borne virus are not far away.
The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Florida had confirmed a Zika infection, and that the CDC is ‘closely coordinating with Florida officials, ‘ according to a statement sent to AFP.
Health officials in Florida are looking into whether, for the first time in the US, the Zika virus has been transmitted by a mosquito.
A person who cared for a Zika-infected relative in Utah also got the virus, but exactly how it was transmitted is a medical mystery, health officials announced Monday. Zika infection is often asymptomatic; among those who have symptoms, the most common complaints are fever, rash, joint pain, and conjunctivitis (red eyes).
According to a CDC response plan, health officials would want to see more than just one unexplained case before declaring that someone has been infected by a mosquito bite in the continental United States. Fourteen of these were sexually transmitted, and one lab worker was stuck with a contaminated needle. The researchers noted that people infected from nonepidemic areas such as Thailand can be infected with Zika virus and that prolonged shedding should be considered before taking steps to preserve fertility in advance of certain reproductive fertility measures.
Schaffner pointed out that to stop any possible outbreak, the health department will ask the infected patients to remain indoors so that they can not infect mosquitoes that might bite them – potentially leading to other infections.
· Spray insect repellent on the outside of your clothing (mosquitoes can bite through thin clothing). In most people, the virus causes only mild illness, but infection during pregnancy can lead to severe brain-related birth defects for the fetus. The vast majority of those contracted the disease while in a country with ongoing Zika virus transmission. Lab tests showed he had extremely high amounts of the virus in his blood – 100,000 times higher than that seen in other Zika samples, according to a CDC news release.
Tampa mother Kayla Wiseman has been watching the spread of the Zika virus like a hawk for months and this week, she received the news she has been dreading.
“We strongly warn everyone – especially pregnant women or women planning to become pregnant – avoid traveling to countries where Zika virus is circulating”, Dr. Hiram Polk, DPH commissioner, said in a statement.
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CDC officials have been preparing for small, local outbreaks of the Zika virus in southern states like Florida, Texas, and Louisiana due to their population of Aedes aegypti, the mosquito type that carries the virus.
