Zika Confirmed El Paso Texas ex-Miami Beach Florida

[niman]

A Texas resident who recently traveled to an area of Miami with local Zika transmission has tested positive for the virus. The traveler, an El Paso County resident, recently returned from the area and sought testing after becoming ill.

This is the first Texas case to be linked to travel within the continental United States. The case will be classified as “travel-associated” and is being investigated for more details. 

Health officials linked this case to Miami travel after closely evaluating travel dates, symptom onset date and known local transmission of Zika virus in Miami. This will be El Paso County’s first Zika case, and the county has found no other evidence of the virus or local transmission.  

http://www.dshs.texas.gov/news/releases/2016/Texas-Zika-Case-Linked-to-Miami.aspx

Edited August 19, 2016 by niman

[niman]

Texas Zika Illness Linked to Miami Travel

News Release
August 15, 2016

 A Texas resident who recently traveled to an area of Miami with local Zika transmission has tested positive for the virus. The traveler, an El Paso County resident, recently returned from the area and sought testing after becoming ill.

This is the first Texas case to be linked to travel within the continental United States. The case will be classified as “travel-associated” and is being investigated for more details. 

Health officials linked this case to Miami travel after closely evaluating travel dates, symptom onset date and known local transmission of Zika virus in Miami. This will be El Paso County’s first Zika case, and the county has found no other evidence of the virus or local transmission.  

Excluding this case, Texas has reported 108 cases associated with travel to areas with active Zika transmission. This count includes three pregnant women, two infants infected before birth, and one person who had sexual contact with a traveler.

There have been no reported cases of Zika virus disease transmitted by mosquitoes in Texas, but Texas is on alert for the possibility of local transmission. State efforts have been underway since January to delay and minimize the impact of Zika on Texas.

To avoid infecting local mosquitoes, people who travel to areas with active Zika transmission should apply insect repellent every time they go outside for at least three weeks after they return to Texas – and longer if they develop an illness that could be Zika. State health officials urge everyone to visit www.TexasZika.org and follow precautions to protect themselves from mosquito bites:

• Apply EPA-approved insect repellent.
• Wear pants and long-sleeve shirts that cover exposed skin. In warmer weather, wear lightweight, loose-fitting clothing that covers exposed skin. 
• Use screens or close windows and doors to keep mosquitoes out of your home. 
• Remove standing water in and around the home. This includes water in cans, toys, tires, plant saucers, and any container that can hold water. 
• Cover trash cans or containers where water can collect.

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(News Media Contact: Carrie Williams, 512-776-7119, [email protected])

DSHS Press Office on Twitter

 

Last updatedAugust 15, 2016

[niman]

Map Update

https://www.google.com/maps/d/edit?hl=en&hl=en&authuser=0&authuser=0&mid=1FlIB7hHnVgGD9TlbSx5HwAj-PEQ

[niman]

State Health Officials: Zika Case Shows Spread From Florida to Texas

Posted By Mark Reagan on Mon, Aug 15, 2016 at 5:00 pm

• Flickr Creative Commons
• San Antonio has a hospitable environment for Zika virus.

The Texas Department of State Health Services on Monday reported the state's first case of inter-state Zika transmission.

DSHS says in a press release that resident in El Paso County who recently traveled to an area of Miami that produced the country's first locally-transmitted Zika cases became ill when they returned home. State health officials are classifying the case as "travel-associated" and are investigating for more details.  

According to DSHS, the case was linked to Miami after health officials studied the El Paso resident's travel itinerary, symptom onset date and known cases in Miami. This is El Paso County's first Zika case. While there have been no locally transmitted cases in Texas, health officials here are on alert for the possibility, DSHS says.

The news comes about a week after a child born in Harris County died from symptoms associated with Zika, namely microcephaly, a condition where an infant is born with an unusually small head that does not grow, along with stunted brain development. Another Harris County infant has been born with Zika-related microcephaly, but that child has not died. 

Excluding this case, there have been 108 cases of Zika in the state associated with travel, including three pregnant women, the two infants with microcephaly who were infected in the womb, and one person who contracted the virus after having sex with a traveler. In San Antonio, there have been eight cases, according to the last San Antonio Metro Health Department update.

http://www.sacurrent.com/the-daily/archives/2016/08/15/state-health-officials-zika-case-shows-spread-from-florida-to-texas

[niman]

HEALTH

 

ZIKA VIRUS OUTBREAK

 

AUG 15 2016, 5:10 PM ET

Zika Spreads From Florida to Texas

by MAGGIE FOX

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Zika's now spreading from state to state in the U.S.. Health officials in Texas said Monday a resident there caught Zika in Florida and brought it home.

It doesn't mean Zika's an epidemic just yet, but it does show just how easily the virus can spread once enough people in an area are infected.

"This is the first Texas case to be linked to travel within the continental United States. The case will be classified as 'travel-associated' and is being investigated for more details," the Texas health department said in a statement.

"Health officials linked this case to Miami travel after closely evaluating travel dates, symptom onset date and known local transmission of Zika virus in Miami."

Miami has a small local cluster of Zika cases, which rose to 30 Monday with two more reported patients.

One of the cases is not in the small area that officials think is the only real local Zika hotspot, but there's no evidence the virus is spreading in Florida like it has across Latin America.

But with limited money and people for testing, it's hard to know for sure. Federal and state officials have had to shift money from other work to take on Zika, in part because Congress is on a break without having allocated any cash.

Florida has allocated $18 million to flight Zika.

 

The area in Miami where officials think Zika is spreading Florida Department of Health

"There are two new non-travel related cases today in Miami-Dade County," the Florida health department said in a statement.

"One of the individuals was exposed in the less than one-square mile in Miami-Dade County. The second new non-travel related infection is located outside of the one-square mile area in Miami-Dade County."

To spread, Zika needs infected people. The virus circulates in blood, semen and can also be found in saliva and urine. The yellow fever mosquito -- Aedes aegypti -- is the main culprit, but the virus can also be spread sexually.

"There have been no reported cases of Zika virus disease transmitted by mosquitoes in Texas, but Texas is on alert for the possibility of local transmission," the Texas health department said. "State efforts have been underway since January to delay and minimize the impact of Zika on Texas."

Texas also has Aedes aegypti mosquitoes.

Most people aren't at big risk, but infection can cause severe birth defects if a pregnant woman gets infected.

"THE DEPARTMENT STILL BELIEVES ACTIVE TRANSMISSIONS ARE STILL ONLY OCCURRING IN THE AREA THAT IS LESS THAN ONE SQUARE MILE IN MIAMI-DADE COUNTY."

Florida officials say they are investigating the new case that is not in the Wynwood neighborhood just north of downtown Miami. It's the third local case from outside the neighborhood where officials know mosquitoes are spreading the virus.

Related: U.S. Declares Zika Emergency in Puerto Rico

"Mosquito abatement and reduction activities will take place around the area of interest," they said. "The department still believes active transmissions are still only occurring in the area that is less than one square mile in Miami-Dade County."

Overall, Florida has more than 450 known Zika cases, 440 of them in travelers. But because Zika causes no symptoms in most people, experts agree there are likely far more.

Florida's at special risk because it's home to the Aedes mosquitoes that spread the virus. So an infected person can be bitten without even knowing they are spreading the virus. The more travelers with Zika, the more likely a mosquito will bite one of them and then bite someone else.

Related: Is DEET Safe?

Florida says it can test 5,544 people for active Zika virus and 3,141 for Zika antibodies -- evidence someone was infected in the past.

"Per the governor's direction on August 3, all county health departments are now offering free Zika risk assessment and testing to any pregnant woman who would like to be tested."

Florida says 59 residents who have Zika are pregnant.

So far, the investigations of the cases outside Wynwood have not found anyone else infected other than the known cases, which indicates the virus is not actively spreading in those places, the health department said.

"FLORIDA'S SMALL CASE CLUSTER IS NOT CONSIDERED WIDESPREAD TRANSMISSION."

"One case does not mean active transmission is taking place, and that's why the department conducts a thorough investigation by sampling close contacts and community members around each case to determine if additional people are infected," the department said.

Related: I'm Pregnant. What to Do About Zika?

"The department has not yet determined where the individual in Palm Beach County or the three individuals outside the one-square mile in Miami-Dade County likely contracted Zika and will share more details as the investigations progress. If the department finds evidence that active transmission is occurring in an area, we will notify the media and the public."

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention warns women who are pregnant or thinking of becoming pregnant to stay away from areas where Zika is spreading.

"Florida's small case cluster is not considered widespread transmission, however, pregnant women are advised to avoid non-essential travel to the impacted area in Miami-Dade County," the department said.

"The department urges Floridians to drain standing water weekly, no matter how seemingly small. A couple drops of water in a bottle cap can be a breeding location for mosquitoes."

The CDC also recommends covering up with long pants and long sleeves and the use of insect repellents. 

http://www.nbcnews.com/storyline/zika-virus-outbreak/two-more-local-zika-cases-found-miami-n631316

[niman]

Texas Traveler Gets Zika in Florida

• Alexandra Sifferlin @acsifferlin
•  

6:02 PM ET

    

A Texas person got the virus while traveling to an area in Miami

Zika has now spread between states, as Texas health officials report that a resident who traveled to a Miami area with local transmission has tested positive for the virus.

The El Paso County resident became ill and went in for testing. Health officials in the state were able to determine the resident got the infection in Florida after confirming travel information and symptom onset. An area of Miami currently has 30 cases of Zika spread from local mosquitoes. So far there has not been any confirmed cases of local Zika transmission among Texas mosquitoes.

Health officials say they will count this new case as “travel-associated” though it is the first time that the virus has spread between states in the U.S. “Texas is on alert for the possibility of local transmission,” the Texas Department of State Health Services said in a statement.

Not including the most recent case, Texas has reported 108 people with travel associated Zika virus infections, which includes three pregnant women, two infants who were infected before birth, and one person who got the virus through sexual transmission.

http://time.com/4453371/texas-florida-zika/

[niman]

Texas resident is infected with Zika after Miami trip

By AFP

PUBLISHED: 17:19 EST, 15 August 2016 | UPDATED: 17:20 EST, 15 August 2016

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A person in Texas has contracted Zika after traveling to a part of Miami where local mosquitoes are spreading the virus, which can cause birth defects, officials said Monday.

"This is the first Texas case to be linked to travel within the continental United States," said the Texas Department of State Health Services.

"Health officials linked this case to Miami travel after closely evaluating travel dates, symptom onset date and known local transmission of Zika virus in Miami."

 

 

 

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Miami-Dade mosquito control worker Carlos Vargas points to the Aedes aegypti mosquito larvae at a home in Miami, Florida, on June 8, 2016 ©Rhona Wise (AFP/File)

The unidentified person had "recently traveled to an area of Miami with local Zika transmission" and "has tested positive for the virus."

Upon returning to Texas, the traveler "sought testing after becoming ill."

Florida has tallied 30 cases of locally transmitted Zika since July, marking the first cases of the virus spreading locally on US soil.

"We still believe local transmissions are only occurring in an area that is less than one square mile in Wynwood" -- a neighborhood north of downtown Miami -- Florida Governor Rick Scott said on Monday.

The Florida Department of Health is nevertheless also investigating four areas in Miami-Dade and Palm Beach counties where local transmissions of Zika may have occurred.

Zika, which can be transmitted via sexual contact or mosquito bites, has spread throughout Latin America and the Caribbean region since 2015.

The virus is blamed for a surge in cases of babies born with the brain and skull defect known as microcephaly.

Suspected Zika-related birth defects have been reported so far in 15 countries or territories, according to the World Health Organization.

As many as four in five of those infected may notice no symptoms at all. Those who do often report fever, rash and body pain.

Until now Texas has now only reported travel-associated cases of Zika, and said it would also classify the Miami case as linked to travel.

The state is now "on alert for the possibility of local transmission," said the health department.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/wires/afp/article-3742328/Texas-resident-infected-Zika-Miami-trip.html

[niman]

Texas officials report travel-related Zika case — from Miami

By Tom Howell Jr. - The Washington Times - Monday, August 15, 2016

A Texan who recently traveled to a part of Miami with local Zika transmission has tested positive for the virus, marking the first instance in which a traveler likely picked up the mosquito-borne virus in another U.S. state.

Health officials said they looked at travel dates, symptoms and the situation in southern Florida to reach their conclusion. It is the first Zika cases in El Paso County, which has no other evidence of the virus or that it is spreading by mosquito bite there.

Texas has recorded 108 cases tied to travel, though each of those were linked to Zika-affected area outside of the continental U.S.

 

So far, the Florida Department of Health has confirmed 30 cases of locally acquired Zika virus.

Florida Gov. Rick Scott, a Republican, said he is calling in additional commercial pest control companies to help the state knock out mosquitoes in a square-mile area north of downtown Miami.

Officials believe active transmission is only occurring in that area, though it is looking into suspected transmission in three other spots in Miami-Dade County and one in Palm Beach County to see whether it is spreading on its own there.

http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2016/aug/15/texas-officials-report-travel-related-zika-miami/

[niman]

Texas resident's Zika case linked to Miami travel

Posted: Aug 15, 2016 6:39 PM EDTUpdated: Aug 15, 2016 6:39 PM EDT

AUSTIN, Texas (AP) -- Health officials say a Texas resident who recently traveled to an area of Miami where local Zika transmission occurred has tested positive for the virus.

The Texas Department of State Health Services said Monday that it's the first Texas case to be linked to travel within the continental U.S.

Health officials linked the case to Miami travel after investigating factors such as travel dates and when symptoms appeared.

The El Paso County resident sought testing after becoming ill. Health officials say it's that county's first case and no other evidence of the virus or local transmission has been found there.

Texas has reported more than 100 cases of Zika associated with travel to areas with active transmission. There haven't been any reported cases of Zika transmitted by mosquitoes in Texas.

http://www.wkow.com/story/32764837/2016/08/15/texas-residents-zika-case-linked-to-miami-travel

[niman]

Officials: El Paso man diagnosed with Zika virus

 

 

 

 

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Public Health Director discusses first case of Zika in El Paso

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Public Health Director Robert Resendes discusses the first case of Zika in El Paso. Sarah Ann Dueñas/El Paso Times

El Paso Times4:27 p.m. MDT August 15, 2016

El Paso public health officials said in a news conference on Monday that an El Paso man has tested positive for the Zika virus that he acquired while traveling.

City public health officials said the man is recovering and is not considered a threat.

Officials said he contracted the virus while in the Miami area.

The mosquito born virus has caused the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to issue travel warning for pregnant women.

This is the first case of Zika virus in the area.

http://www.elpasotimes.com/story/news/local/el-paso/2016/08/15/officials-el-paso-man-diagnosed-zika-virus/88799180/

[niman]

Texas Resident Tests Positive for Zika After Florida Travel

El Paso County had visited an area of Miami before becoming ill

By 

DAN FROSCH and

 

JON KAMP

Aug. 15, 2016 7:23 p.m. ET

0 COMMENTS

DALLAS—A Texas resident who recently traveled to Miami has tested positive for Zika, state health officials said Monday, in what is thought to be the first case of someone contracting the virus while traveling within the continental U.S.

Officials with the Texas Department of State Health Services said the sick individual, who is from El Paso County, had gone to an area of Miami that has become the epicenter for Zika transmission in the U.S. The person became ill after returning to Texas and sought out testing.

State health officials said they were able to link the El Paso case to Miami after examining travel dates, symptoms and the current outbreak of Zika there.

Meanwhile, health authorities in Florida announced two more instances Monday of what appear to be locally contracted cases of Zika there, bringing the tally of such cases in the state to 30.

The Wynwood neighborhood, north of Miami’s downtown, has been ground zero for virtually all of Florida’s locally transmitted cases.

There are also 440 travel-related cases in Florida, health officials there said.

Excluding Monday’s case, Texas has reported 108 cases of Zika, all linked to travel outside of the continental U.S.

Carrie Williams, spokeswoman for the Texas health services department, declined to say whether the new Texas case originated in the Wynwood neighborhood.

“Travel-associated cases involving areas with local Zika are expected,” she said. “We’ve been on alert for local transmission here and been closely monitoring the situation unfold in Florida and the work being done there.”

With its hot and humid summers, the Lone Star State has been bracing for more incidents of the disease.

Last week, Texas health officials reported the state’s first Zika-linked death, after an infant who died recently in Harris County was determined to have microcephaly, a birth defect linked to the virus.

The infant’s mother contracted the disease while traveling in Latin America during her pregnancy, and the baby acquired the infection while in the womb.

Write to Dan Frosch at [email protected] and Jon Kamp at [email protected]

http://www.wsj.com/articles/texas-resident-tests-positive-for-zika-after-florida-travel-1471303384

[niman]

Texas reports Zika case imported from Miami, Florida reports 2 new local Zika infections

Filed Under: 

Zika

Lisa Schnirring | News Editor | CIDRAP News

  | 

Aug 15, 2016

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Airman Magazine/ Flickr cc

Texas health officials today reported a Zika illness in a resident who traveled to Miami, as Florida today reported two more locally acquired Zika infections in Miami-Dade County, signaling ongoing transmission in what officials think is still a small area.

The Texas Department of State Health Services (TDSHS) said the patient, who is from El Paso County, is the state's first Zika case linked to travel within the continental United States, according to an e-mail press release.

The two developments come just days after another major US Zika development: the federal declaration of a public health emergency in Puerto Rico due to surging case numbers there. With the summer mosquito season in full swing, Puerto Rico and a handful of counties in southern Florida—both with rising numbers of local cases—are the US hot spots of Zika activity.

Travel and illness dates link Texas case to Miami

The Texas patient had recently returned from the Miami area and sought Zika testing after becoming ill, the TDSHS said. The department said it would classify the case as "travel-related" and that further investigation is in progress.

TDSHS said it linked the case to Miami after closely evaluating travel dates, symptom onset, and known local transmission in Miami. The patient's illness is El Paso County's first Zika case, and no evidence of the virus or local transmission has been detected before in the area.

So far, Texas has recorded 108 travel-linked Zika cases, 3 of them in pregnant women. However, health officials are on alert for local cases and Texas has taken steps since January to delay and minimize the impact of the virus.

Florida's local infection total climbs to 30

Florida's governor's office today said two more local transmissions have been confirmed in Miami-Dade County, raising the number of non-travel related Zika infections in the state to 30. In a statement, Gov Rick Scott said that despite the two additional cases, "We still believe local transmissions are only occurring in an area that is less than 1 square mile in Wynwood."

In a separate statement, the Florida Department of Health (Florida Health) said one of the patients was exposed in the affected Wynwood area and the second was located outside of the 1-square-mile area.

So far state health officials are investigating four areas in Miami-Dade and Palm Beach Counties where local Zika transmission may have occurred—three in the former and one in the latter. However, Scott's office said Florida Health still believes active transmission is only occurring in the less than 1-square-mile area of Wynwood, a popular entertainment and dining district just north of downtown.

The state's agriculture department has tested 25,000 mosquitos for Zika, and so far none have come back positive. Experts have said that in local outbreak settings it's not unusual to find no positive samples in mosquito testing.

Ongoing local Zika activity on Aug 12 prompted a funding request from Miami-Dade County for more staff and more mosquito traps, which Scott said Florida Health will expedite. He said Florida Health has sought help on battling mosquitos in the outbreak area from experts around the state and that the agency has enlisted more help from commercial pest-control companies to help with containment efforts in Miami-Dade County.

In its daily update, Florida Health also reported 28 more travel-related cases and another in a pregnant woman. So far Florida has reported 440 travel-linked cases, plus 59 in pregnant women.

Emergency declaration for Puerto Rico clears way for more staffing

US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Sylvia Burwell on Aug 12 declared a public health emergency in Puerto Rico based on a request from its governor, Alejandro Garcia Padilla. The declaration came as Puerto Rico's Zika case count topped 10,000 through the end July. So far the health department there has reported 10,690 cases, 1,914 of them in the past week. Of the territory's total, 1,035 are in pregnant women.

"This emergency declaration allows us to provide additional support to the Puerto Rican government and reminds us of the importance of pregnant women, women of childbearing age, and their partners taking additional steps to protect themselves and their families from Zika," she said in an Aug 12 HHS statement.

In the statement, Garcia Padilla said he was thankful for the Obama Administration's support and wants to do everything possible to fight the virus. "The declaration made by the HHS, which grants access to certain funds, is another example of collaboration between the federal government and the government of Puerto Rico."

According to the HHS, the emergency declaration clears the way for Puerto Rico to apply for funds to hire and train unemployed workers to help with vector control and outbreak efforts through the US Department of Labor's National Dislocated Worker Grant Program, and to request temporary reassignments for health department personnel who are funded through the Public Health Service Act to assist with the Zika response.

See also:

Aug 15 TDSHS press release

Aug15 Gov Rick Scott statement

Aug 15 Florida Health daily Zika update

Aug 12 HHS press release

Aug 12 Puerto Rico weekly arbovirus report

http://www.cidrap.umn.edu/news-perspective/2016/08/texas-reports-zika-case-imported-miami-florida-reports-2-new-local-zika

[niman]

First case of Zika virus confirmed in El Paso

by JAMEL VALENCIA

Monday, August 15th 2016

In this Feb. 11, 2016 photo, Dallas County Mosquito Lab microbiologist Spencer Lockwood sorts mosquitos. (AP Photo/LM Otero, file)

AA

EL PASO, Texas (KFOX14) -- The El Paso Department of Health confirmed a man living in El Paso contracted the Zika virus while traveling to Florida.

Monday, the Health Department, city leaders and representatives with Vector Control held a news conference about the first local case of the virus.

 

 

Health officials said this is the first Texas case to be linked to travel within the continental United States.

It is being classified as a “travel associated” case and is currently being investigated.

 

 

 Follow

Genevieve Curtis @CurtisKFOX_CBS

Health Dept. Officials say the El Paso man is no longer contagious. #epcity #zika #liveonkfox14

5:09 PM - 15 Aug 2016

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It was determined that the man contracted the virus in Miami after health officials evaluated his travel dates, symptom onset and known local transmission of Zika in the area.

There have been no reported cases of the Zika virus being transmitted by mosquitoes in Texas, but officials said the state is on alert for the possibility of local transmission.

 

 

 Follow

Genevieve Curtis @CurtisKFOX_CBS

As of today there have been no confirmed #Zika transmissions from mosquitoes in El Paso. #liveonkfox14

5:15 PM - 15 Aug 2016

http://wwmt.com/news/nation-world/first-case-of-zika-virus-confirmed-in-el-paso

[niman]

El Paso man infected with Zika while visiting Florida

 

POSTED: 03:48 PM MDT Aug 15, 2016 UPDATED: 04:17 PM MDT Aug 15, 2016 

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EL PASO, Texas -

An El Paso man was infected with the Zika virus while visiting Florida, health officials said Monday.

When the man returned, he developed a rash and decided to have a doctor look at it. The doctor sent him to University Medical Center, where he tested positive for Zika and received treatment.

Health officials said the man is recovering.

"The patient provided blood and urine samples which were tested and came back positive. What we know is that this individual is recovering and is not considered a threat to the community," said Robert Resendes, Public Health Director. "What we need is the community to take note that Zika virus is real, and we must protect ourselves and the community."

The mosquito-borne virus has caused the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to issue travel warnings for pregnant women.

The DPH is also encouraging anyone who may be traveling to Zika-affected regions including certain areas of Florida, Mexico, Central and South America, the Caribbean, Pacific Islands, and U.S. territories to take strict precautions against being bitten by mosquitoes.

 Zika can also be transmitted sexually. Officials urge pregnant women with a male partner who traveled to a Zika-affected area should either abstain from sexual activity, or use condoms correctly and consistently for the duration of their pregnancy to protect the unborn fetus from the risk of severe birth defects, including microcephaly.

http://www.kvia.com/news/el-paso-man-infected-with-zika-while-visiting-florida/41215970

[niman]

Texas resident tests positive for Zika after travel to Miami; case is state's first linked to trip within U.S.

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John Moore/Getty Images

A city environmental health worker displays literature to be distributed to the public in McAllen.

By Claire Z. Cardona Follow @clairezcardona [email protected]

Breaking News Producer

Published: 15 August 2016 06:09 PM

Updated: 15 August 2016 06:35 PM

A Texas resident who recently traveled to Miami has tested positive for Zika in what is considered the first Texas case linked to a trip within the U.S. 

The resident, who lives in El Paso County, recently returned from an area of Miami where local transmission by U.S. mosquitoes has occurred. It is also the first Zika case for the county, which has found no other evidence of the virus or local transmission, according to the Texas Department of State Health Services. 

There have been 108 cases of travel-related Zika in Texas, including three pregnant women and one person who had sexual contact with a traveler, health officials said.  None of the cases have been a result of the disease transmitted by mosquitoes in Texas. 

The state has been on high alert over the virus and is bracing itself for the possibility of a Texas-borne case. 

Health officials announced Monday that they're dropping the need for some expecting mothers and women between 10 and 45 years old to get a prescription before receiving two free cans mosquito repellent.

Texas is the first state to issue a standing order for mosquito repellent, said Charles Smith, executive commission of Texas Health and Human Services.

Eligible women on Medicaid can now go directly to a pharmacist to pick the repellent up through October, Smith said. 

Dallas County reported its 25th case of Zika virus Friday. The patient, a 31-year-old Richardson resident, was infected during a recent trip to Belize. 

Other cases in the county have included residents from DeSoto, Irving and Dallas who traveled abroad to places such as El Salvador, Colombia, Puerto Rico, Honduras and Jamaica.

Last week, state health officials confirmed that a baby girl who died in Harris County had microcephaly linked to the virus. The case was the first Zika-related death reported in Texas. Her mother was infected with the Zika virus while traveling in Latin America and passed the virus to the baby in the womb.

Another Harris County infant was the first confirmed case of microcephaly linked to Zika in the state. 

The most common symptoms of Zika are fever, rash, joint pain and conjunctivitis. Illness is usually mild with symptoms that last for several days to a week.

More details about prevention and the virus are available at the county website,TexasZika.org and CDC.gov.

http://www.dallasnews.com/business/health-care/20160815-texas-resident-tests-positive-for-zika-after-travel-to-miami-case-is-state-s-first-linked-to-trip-within-u.s..ece

[niman]

[niman]

Map Update

https://www.google.com/maps/d/edit?hl=en&hl=en&authuser=0&authuser=0&mid=1FlIB7hHnVgGD9TlbSx5HwAj-PEQ

[niman]

From Press Conference:

This is a gentleman, who was healthy when he left El Paso, traveled to Florida. Happen to go to the area where there has been some transmission of Zika by mosquitos. He came home affected, sick, sought out treatment, the testing, the blood tests, that’s necessary, the blood tests, went to the state lab in Austin. And we found out this weekend that we have our first positive case.

The patient is doing great, you know he had, the fever, the rash and after about a week he was fine.

He traveled, in the greater Miami in the last week in July. He returned to El Paso on August 1^st. August 2^nd he began having the symptoms I discussed. Had a blood test on August, 5^th. Then we got the results this weekend and by the time we got the results the disease was behind him and he longer had the virus in his blood.

 

He isolated himself when he had symptoms, to prevent mosquitos from picking it up from him.

[niman]

Texas resident is infected with Zika after Miami trip

August 16, 2016

A person in Texas has contracted Zika after traveling to a part of Miami where local mosquitoes are spreading the virus, which can cause birth defects, officials said Monday.

"This is the first Texas case to be linked to travel within the continental United States," said the Texas Department of State Health Services.

"Health officials linked this case to Miami travel after closely evaluating travel dates, symptom onset date and known local transmission of Zika virus in Miami."

The unidentified person had "recently traveled to an area of Miami with local Zika transmission" and "has tested positive for the virus."

Upon returning to Texas, the traveler "sought testing after becoming ill."

Florida has tallied 30 cases of locally transmitted Zika since July, marking the first cases of the virus spreading locally on US soil.

"We still believe local transmissions are only occurring in an area that is less than one square mile in Wynwood"—a neighborhood north of downtown Miami—Florida Governor Rick Scott said on Monday.

The Florida Department of Health is nevertheless also investigating four areas in Miami-Dade and Palm Beach counties where local transmissions of Zika may have occurred.

Zika, which can be transmitted via sexual contact or mosquito bites, has spread throughout Latin America and the Caribbean region since 2015.

The virus is blamed for a surge in cases of babies born with the brain and skull defect known as microcephaly.

Suspected Zika-related birth defects have been reported so far in 15 countries or territories, according to the World Health Organization.

As many as four in five of those infected may notice no symptoms at all. Those who do often report fever, rash and body pain.

Until now Texas has now only reported travel-associated cases of Zika, and said it would also classify the Miami case as linked to travel.

The state is now "on alert for the possibility of local transmission," said the health department.

http://medicalxpress.com/news/2016-08-texas-resident-infected-zika-miami.html

[niman]

Texas Resident Infected with Zika

Posted: Aug 15, 2016 10:58 PM EDTUpdated: Aug 15, 2016 10:58 PM EDT

 

 

 

 

 

 

EL PASO – A Texas man, who was infected with Zika in Florida, is back in El Paso. The Texas Department of State Health Services said it’s the first Texas case to be linked to travel within the continental U.S.

The man traveled nearly 2,000 miles to the Zika hot zone in Florida. So far 30 people have been infected with the virus in a Miami neighborhood.

The El Paso man unknowingly was bit by an infected mosquito while visiting the Florida city. Health officials said when he returned to El Paso the man noticed he developed a rash.

His blood was drawn and test results this weekend showed he tested positive for Zika.

El Paso health officials said there is some good news.

Public Health Director Robert Resendes said, “One of the nice things about Zika is it doesn't stay around in your blood too long, so this gentleman is no longer infectious. The virus lasts in our bloodstream about one week, and then it's gone. So if he's getting bitten by mosquitoes now, it's been over a week. He's not spreading any disease neither are the mosquitoes, so this is a good thing."

The man is said to be doing much better now.

Amid the concerns over Zika, Texas no longer requires pregnant women on Medicaid to get a prescription before receiving free mosquito repellent. Expecting mothers and women between the ages of 10 and 45 can receive up to two cans of repellent a month through October.

http://www.krgv.com/story/32766052/texas-resident-infected-with-zika

[niman]

Texas Zika case linked to Miami travel

Susan Miller, USA TODAY8:01 a.m. EDT August 16, 2016

 

(Photo: Joe Raedle, Getty Images)

The Zika outbreak has experienced a new first: The spread of the virus from state to state.

A Texas resident who recently traveled to an area of Miami known as a hot spot for local Zika transmission tested positive for the virus, the Texas Department of State Health Services said Monday.

While there's no evidence that Zika is spreading in Texas, the new case shows that states other than Florida are vulnerable. All that's required for the disease to spread in Texas is for mosquitoes to bite the infected person, incubate the virus, then bite others.

"This is the first Texas case to be linked to travel within the continental United States. The case will be classified as 'travel-associated' and is being investigated for more details," the department said in a statement..

The El Paso County resident sought testing in Texas after becoming ill. Texas health officials linked the case to Miami after examining dates of travel and the onset of symptoms. It was El Paso County's first Zika case. The Texas health department said the county had no other evidence of the virus or local transmission.

The Zika virus is usually spread from human to human by the bite of infected mosquitoes. It can also pass from mother to child, through sex and through blood transfusions. Both Texas and Florida have the mosquitoes that spread Zika, called the Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus. And both have experienced clusters of mosquito-borne diseases in recent years, including dengue and chikungunya. Those outbreaks have been relatively small, however, thanks to the widespread use of screens and air conditioning, which limit Americans' exposure to mosquito bites.

http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2016/08/16/texas-zika-case-linked-miami-travel/88807766/

[niman]

On 8/15/2016 at 9:22 PM, niman said:

From Press Conference:

This is a gentleman, who was healthy when he left El Paso, traveled to Florida. Happen to go to the area where there has been some transmission of Zika by mosquitos. He came home affected, sick, sought out treatment, the testing, the blood tests, that’s necessary, the blood tests, went to the state lab in Austin. And we found out this weekend that we have our first positive case.

The patient is doing great, you know he had, the fever, the rash and after about a week he was fine.

He traveled, in the greater Miami in the last week in July. He returned to El Paso on August 1^st. August 2^nd he began having the symptoms I discussed. Had a blood test on August, 5^th. Then we got the results this weekend and by the time we got the results the disease was behind him and he longer had the virus in his blood.

 

He isolated himself when he had symptoms, to prevent mosquitos from picking it up from him.

2 Cases of Zika Reported in Miami Beach

Two cases of Zika have been reported on Miami Beach.

A source told NBC 6 news that one case was from a tourist that visited the city two weeks ago, the other is from a resident who works on the beach.

Stay tuned to NBC 6 on air and online for more on this developing story.

 

http://www.nbcmiami.com/news/local/Miami-Beach-Announces-Two-Cases-of-Zika-Discovered-In-City-Including-One-Tourist-390601131.html#ixzz4HiAu4gQM

Edited August 18, 2016 by niman

[niman]

The five cases include a tourist from Taiwan, and another from El Paso County in Texas. The Texas Department of State Health Services reported that case earlier this week.https://www.buzzfeed.com/nidhisubbaraman/zika-spreads-to-miami-beach-as-florida-confirms-five-new-cas?utm_term=.cfO4PEn8m#.unLAdJMLV On