USA health officials today said that there is a “high likelihood” that four cases of Zika virus have been locally transmitted, the first evidence that mosquitoes carrying the virus are present in the country.
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Frieden said that the one woman and three men, residents of Miami-Dade and Broward counties, were not related, but that all had been in a section of Wynwood around the time they were infected in early July.
Health officials in San Francisco Friday confirmed a new case of Zika virus, that brings the total to eight.
While Florida public health investigators scour the counties in search of infected local mosquitoes and other people showing Zika symptoms, the Food and Drug Administration is playing it safe, calling for a halt of blood donations collections in the area.
“It’s what we feared”, he said in an interview. However, he also added that the circumstances could change and warnings can be issued if there are more cases of the mosquito-borne virus reported in the area.
Orange County Mayor Teresa Jacobs says potential visitors to Florida shouldn’t think twice about coming to the Sunshine State.
Governor Rick Scott said the state believed active transmission of the virus was occurring within an area of Miami about the size of a square mile (2.6 square kms). These cases include 15 believed to be the result of sexual transmission and one that was the result of a laboratory exposure. Fifty-five pregnant women have been affected.
“There are a series of factors we’ll have to look at”.
So far health authorities seem confident the problem is under control, enough that they have not told pregnant women to avoid South Florida, Miami, or even the Wynwood area. None of those were transmitted through mosquitoes, but health experts said that is likely to change and UT researchers are hopeful they’ll be able to help.
Zika infections in pregnant women can have traumatic effects on their unborn children, causing microcephaly and other severe fetal brain defects, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. There is no vaccine.
No details were given as to the exact point where the Zika cases were reported.
Two of the cases suspected of local transmission were in Miami-Dade County, and two were in Broward County, Scott said.
Still, U.S. health officials said they do not expect widespread outbreaks in this country like those seen in Brazil, in part because of better sanitation, better mosquito control and wider use of window screens and air conditioners.
“If you have recently returned from an area where Zika virus transmissions are now reported and have a fever or flu-like illness, seek medical attention without delay”.
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He said that while health officials have reported four infections, there are probably more that have not been diagnosed, and that people should not be surprised if mosquitoes are soon found to be spreading Zika in Louisiana and Texas as well. Do not forget to use an insect repellent registered by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), wear long-sleeved shirts and long trousers, use or fix screens on windows and doors, use air conditioning when available, and remove standing water where mosquitoes can lay eggs. An infected mosquito can then spread the virus to other people.
