Miami-Dade County Reports Locally Transmitted Zika Case

Zika virus continues to expand in Miami-Dade County Florida
Travel (Precision Vaccinations News)

The Florida Department of Health (FDH) announced that a locally transmitted case of Zika has been confirmed in Miami-Dade County.

The individual tested positive for Zika and had no travel history to an area with ongoing, active transmission of Zika. The person did not have a partner with recent travel to any such area as well.

Therefore, the FDH suspects that this case of Zika was transmitted by the bite of an infected mosquito.

The total number of Zika cases reported in Florida during 2017 is now 217. Moreover, 114 pregnant women have been confirmed with lab-evidence of Zika.

To view the list of travel-related cases by county and year, click here.

Additionally, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) publishes completed pregnancies, liveborn infants with birth defects, and pregnancy losses with birth defects that have been associated with possible Zika virus infection.

Florida Governor Scott has directed all county health departments to offer free Zika risk assessment and testing to pregnant women.

According to the FDH, it is critical for people who recently traveled overseas to an area with Zika virus to prevent mosquito bites for at least three weeks after they return home.

Before you travel, check to see if your destination is on the CDC list of areas with Zika.

Since there is not a Zika vaccine available, it is also important to reduce the chance of sexual transmission by using condoms. Zika has been reported to persist in semen over extended periods of time.

In a recent study, the Zika virus was found to persist in some body fluids for unexpectedly long periods.

This study published in the New England Journal of Medicine reports that this flavivirus lasts longer than others, such as dengue.

Additional testing guidance on screening can be found at this CDC website.

For more information on Zika virus and the status of Zika in Florida, please visit www.zikafreefl.org.

 

Our Trust Standards: Medical Advisory Committee

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