However, health officials clarified that the infected person in Palm Beach County had recently been to Miami-Dade County, where more than a dozen people in a 1-square-mile area in northern Miami have been identified as having been infected with the Zika virus via mosquitoes locally.
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The person lives in West Palm Beach County about 70 miles (113km) north of the initial transmission zone. At this time, the state believes active transmission is only taking place in a one-square mile area of Miami.
Last week, the Centers for Disease Control reported knowing of at least 479 pregnant women who have been infected with Zika in the U.S. Six of those women have lost their unborn babies to miscarriage or abortion, while 15 have given birth to babies with birth defects, the CDC reports.
Following todays announcement, and with the 2016-17 school year approaching, Scott has directed the Florida Department of Health, the Florida Department of Education and the Florida Board of Governors to partner together to provide critical Zika prevention guidance and resources to students, parents, educators and district leaders across the state.
Zika continues to spread in multiple regions across the world, and imported or travel-related cases are expected to increase this year.
The Zika virus that has threatened pregnant women in South America has made its way to the United States, with over 400 cases now surfacing in Florida.
Health officials announced on August 1 that Zika had turned up in Wynwood.
The Federal Trade Commission has sent letters to 10 online marketers warning them against making bogus claims about their products’ ability to protect against the Zika virus. The virus was quickly seen as a particular threat to Florida because of the state’s mosquito-friendly climate and constant stream of global travelers.
Pregnant Brits were advised not to travel to the area after four people in Miami contracted the virus from mosquitoes.
Hineline personally has not seen a case of Zika but said that if a patient does present with possible symptoms, he or she will be referred for Zika testing and further follow-up care.
The lives of babies who are born with the Zika virus are not less “worthy of the protection” of the law than any other child – and they should not be aborted, said Senator Marco Rubio.
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A handful of Zika-related microcephaly cases also have been reported in French Guiana, French Polynesia, the Marshall Islands and Paraguay. Gov. Rick Scott pledged $26.2 million to fight Zika in late June and has called Washington lawmakers to approve more funding toward the effort.
