“The best way to protect yourself from Zika is by avoiding mosquito bites”, said Charles Smith, executive commissioner of the Texas Health and Human Services Commission, in a statement.
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But Florida Gov. Rick Scott is more confident that the virus will be controlled.
We will continue to keep our residents and visitors safe utilizing constant surveillance and aggressive strategies, such as increased mosquito spraying, that have allowed our state to fight similar viruses.
That’s because mosquitoes who bite an infected person could become infected themselves, which would allow the disease to spread locally among the population.
Brazil is the epicentre of the most recent outbreak of Zika. The most common symptoms of the virus are rash, joint pain, fever and red eyes.
Texas received approval of just over $6 million in federal funding to assist with Zika preparedness and response efforts, including funding for Zika response teams, epidemiology and laboratory capacity and birth defects surveillance.
Even delivering pamphlets, Zika prevention kits, and treatments for standing water.
He said that the risk to Canadians in Canada from Zika remains low. In the USA, it is prevalent in the south and in particular, the south-east.
He pointed out that while the cases were so far confined to the Wynwood area of Miami, it was quite likely that the Zika virus could be transmitted in other parts of the United States.
People who have visited this area since June 15th (when the first infection is believe to have occurred) or later should avoid getting pregnant for eight weeks, health officials advised.
The health department has begun door-to-door outreach and sampling in the area of the confirmed case.
Florida officials reported that the Zika cases caused by local mosquitoes had increased to 14 from four that was recorded on Friday.
Valley local health officials are doing the same.
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Miami-Dade mayor, Carlos Gimenez, has announced a 10-square-mile area of Miami – which includes Wynwood – will be sprayed to try to eliminate the mosquito and curb the spread of the virus.
