After health officials identified 10 more cases of Zika in Florida that may have been transmitted by local mosquitoes, federal health officials are advising women who are pregnant or considering becoming pregnant to avoid an area near downtown Miami where the virus is spreading.
The Centers for Disease Control issued guidance today for pregnant women and their partners, advising them not to travel to the affected area, and for their sexual partners to use condoms if they’ve been in the vicinity of the outbreak.
Gov. Rick Scott echoed that advice on Monday.
“While we continue to learn more about this virus each day, we know that it is most harmful to pregnant women and their babies,” Scott said. “For women who live or work in the impacted area and are either pregnant or thinking of becoming pregnant, I urge you to contact your OB/GYN for guidance and to receive a Zika prevention kit.”
This is the first time the CDC has warned people to avoid an American neighborhood because of an outbreak for at least 25 years, said agency spokesman Tom Skinner.
These latest cases of homegrown Zika — as opposed to Zika that’s spread through travel or sexual transmission — bring the total in Florida to 14. Nationwide, 1,658 people in the continental U.S. and Hawaii have been diagnosed with Zika, the CDC says.
The Florida cases are noteworthy because — besides one instance that’s related to a lab accident — all of the U.S. infections have until now have been been diagnosed in people who traveled abroad or in people who had sex with a traveler.
In his statement, Gov. Scott touched on the topic of tourism, which plays a major role in Florida’s economy.
“While I encourage all residents and visitors to continue to use precaution by draining standing water and wearing bug spray, Florida remains safe and open for business,” he said.
by Mary Beth Quirk via Consumerist