Four people contract Zika in Florida
July 29, 2016Four individuals in the Miami-Dade and Broward counties in Florida have been infected with the Zika virus by local mosquitoes, state health officials said Friday, according to CNN.
These are the first known cases of the virus being transmitted by mosquitoes in the continental United States.
“While no mosquitoes trapped tested positive for the Zika virus, the department believes these cases were likely transmitted through infected mosquitoes in this area,” said a statement from the Florida Department of Health quoted by CNN.
Dr. Tom Frieden, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, said Friday, “All the evidence we have seen indicates that this is mosquito-borne transmission that occurred several weeks ago.”
Officials believe the local transmission is confined to a small area north of downtown Miami within a single ZIP code. However, local, state and federal health officials are continuing their investigation. Additional cases are anticipated.
Several days ago it was reported that health officials were testing mosquitoes in Miami-Dade County, after a Floridian woman tested positive for the Zika virus.
It is possible that someone could have Zika without knowing, since 80% of those infected have no symptoms. When symptoms occur, they can include fever, rash, joint pain and red eyes, and they can last from a few days to about a week.
To date, according to CNN, there have been 386 cases of Zika in the state of Florida, including 55 pregnant women. The counties with the highest number of cases are Miami-Dade with 99 and Broward with 55.
Nearly every state is reporting cases of the virus. Only Idaho, South Dakota, Wyoming and Alaska have not reported it, the report said.
At least 13 infants have been born with Zika-related birth defects in the continental U.S. and Hawaii, and there have been six sudden or voluntary Zika-related pregnancy losses reported. There are more than 400 pregnant women with the virus in the United States.
In February, the World Health Organization declared a “public health emergency of international concern” because of an alarming increase in cases of microcephaly linked to the virus.
(Arutz Sheva’s North American desk is keeping you updated until the start of Shabbat in New York. The time posted automatically on all Arutz Sheva articles, however, is Israeli time.)
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How scary!!!