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ASSOCIATED PRESS
A female Aedes aegypti mosquito acquired a blood meal on the arm of a researcher at the Biomedical Sciences Institute in the Sao Paulo’s University in Sao Paulo, Brazil. Zika virus is actively being transmitted by local mosquitoes in a one-square-mile area just north of Downtown Miami, Florida Gov. Rick Scott said this morning in confirming that four cases of Zika infection in Miami-Dade and Broward counties were acquired locally.
MIAMI » Zika virus is actively being transmitted by local mosquitoes in a one-square-mile area just north of Downtown Miami, Florida Gov. Rick Scott said this morning in confirming that four cases of Zika infection in Miami-Dade and Broward counties were acquired locally.
The exact location identified as having active Zika transmission is within Northwest 5th Avenue to the west, U.S. 1 to the east, Northwest/Northeast 38th Street to the north and Northwest/Northeast 20th Street to the south.
This is currently the only area of the state where the Florida Department of Health is testing to see if there local mosquitoes are spreading Zika. All four of Florida’s cases — two in Miami-Dade and two in Broward — are active Zika cases but none of the people infected have exhibited symptoms to be admitted to the hospital.
“We learned today that four people in our state likely have the Zika virus as a result of a mosquito bite,” Scott said in confirming the locally acquired cases.
The first suspected local case was announced in Miami-Dade on July 19, and the second in Broward on July 21. On Wednesday, the health department announced two more suspected cases in both counties.
The health department reported two new travel-related cases Thursday, both involving pregnant women, raising the statewide total to 383 people who have contracted the virus this year, including 55 expectant mothers.
Pregnant women are considered to be at the greatest risk from the Zika virus because it can cause microcephaly and other birth defects.
No mosquitoes in Florida have tested positive for the Zika virus to date, Scott said. But the health department is testing people in the area in search of other cases.
In confirming local transmission of Zika, Scott said he directed the health department to immediately begin contracting with commercial pest control companies to increase spraying and mosquito reduction efforts in the impacted area.
The governor also directed the health department to activate the Joint Information Center within the state’s Emergency Operations Center to ensure impacted areas have coordinated access to information and resources.
Scott also ordered that Florida:
—Provide $620,000 to OneBlood, the primary blood bank in the area, to establish appropriate blood screening. OneBlood began screening all blood donations for Zika virus today.
—Work with the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services to issue a Mosquito Declaration and ensure that Mosquito Control in the areas of concern have the resources they need to combat further local transmission. Miami-Dade and Broward County Mosquito Control Districts will receive $1.28 million in state funds through December to combat Zika.
—Continue investigations in concert with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to ensure we learn all we can about Zika as an emerging disease.
—Coordinate with OB/GYNs and organizations that serve pregnant woman in the impacted area to distribute Zika prevention kits to pregnant women.
—Ongoing door-to-door outreach in the areas of concern with continued mosquito mitigation activities and repellant distribution.
—Partner with VISIT FLORIDA to distribute educational items, repellant and Zika Prevention Kits for pregnant women to visitor centers in the impacted areas.
—Partner with the Florida Department of Education to ensure that mosquito breeding source reduction and mitigation activities have occurred at all schools in Miami-Dade and Broward counties ahead of children returning to classes this fall.
It’s only a matter of time before this becomes Hawaii’s problem. We have the mosquitoes that carry this virus, and it would be easy to spread once it reaches our islands. Think our Department of Health will be up to the challenge? The cynic in me says “no.”
Unlike Dengue there are two transmitters. The mozzie and the HUMAN. Cannot get rid of either totally. Wear repellants every day like perfume, wear condoms, and don’t swallow.
House Republicans adjourned and went home after deciding to ignore the $1.9B emergency funding request from the CDC for zika control. The probably objected because it was based on science.