Florida health officials have linked Wynwood to over two dozen Zika infections apparently spread by Miami mosquitoes.
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The announcement came hours after Puerto Rico reported 1,914 new cases in the past week, for a total of 10,690 since the first one was reported in December. More than 100 pregnant women infected with Zika in Puerto Rico who have given birth have had healthy babies, officials said.
Puerto Rico reported the first microcephaly case acquired on US soil in May, involving a dead fetus that a woman turned over to health authorities.
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services last declared a public health emergency in the wake of Superstorm Sandy, which slammed into the New Jersey shore and flooded parts of New York City in 2012. More than 1,900 of those cases were in the last week alone. It causes mild, flu-like symptoms in most people, but can cause severe brain-related defects, including disastrously small heads, if women are infected during pregnancy.
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP) – The U.S. government on Friday declared a public health emergency in Puerto Rico as a result of a Zika epidemic. The administration said on Thursday it had shifted $81 million in funds from other projects to continue work on developing vaccines to fight Zika in the absence of any funding from US lawmakers.
The declaration means the island can now apply for emergency funding and appoint staff to assist in mosquito control efforts, outreach and Zika education campaigns.
Zika is primarily spread by mosquitoes, but can also be transmitted by sexual contact.
“The current spread of Zika virus poses a significant threat to public health in the Commonwealth relating to pregnant women and children born to pregnant women with Zika”, HHS said in a statement. The action gives the government access to additional funding to fight Zika as congressional efforts to allocate money remain stalled.
“This administration is committed to meeting the Zika outbreak in Puerto Rico with the necessary urgency”, she said in a statement, without providing further details about the type of support it may provide.
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The Republican legislation also would siphon off unused money under Obama’s signature 2010 healthcare law to combat Zika.
