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Health Officials Investigating Cluster of Possible Zika Cases in Miami Beach Revelations come after officials identified a neighborhood north of downtown Miami as a transmission zone \ http://www.wsj.com/articles/health-officials-investigating-cluster-of-possible-zika-cases-in-miami-beach-1471565519

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New Cluster of Zika Cases Is Reported in Miami Beach By LIZETTE ALVAREZ and PAM BELLUCKAUG. 18, 2016 On Thursday, the health official with knowledge of the new developments said that in Miami Beach, there are “a handful of cases” of likely local transmission that involve people who were in “close proximity to each other,” including two new cases that the Florida Department of Healthannounced Thursday. The official insisted on anonymity, saying that details about the location and any travel guidance for pregnant women are not likely to be officially announced until Friday at the earliest. The official said that expanding the travel advisory broadly would not indicate that health officials think that the Zika virus was spreading rapidly throughout the county or Miami Beach. Rather, it would be “for the sake of almost simplification to make it easy for people to understand the geographic area,” the official said. “Now that we have a second area of local transmission, I think officials wouldn’t be surprised to see in the coming weeks another area,” the official added. “So in an effort to simplify things and get ahead, there are discussions about expanding the area to possibly include the county or other parts of the Miami area.” Jackie Schutz, Gov. Rick Scott’s communications director, said Thursday that public health officials “have not confirmed a new zone of active transmission,” besides the one-square-mile area in Wynwood, a neighborhood in Miami, that has been designated a zone of active local transmission of the Zika virus since Aug. 1. She added, “there are multiple cases being investigated.” So far, 25 of the 35 cases of suspected local transmission that Florida health officials have announced have ties to the Wynwood neighborhood, most of them linked to two small businesses. Mara Gambineri, a spokeswoman for the Florida Department of Health, 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.” She added, “If investigations reveal additional areas of likely active transmission, the department will announce a defined area of concern.” The mayor of Miami Beach, Philip Levine, said that state officials had not confirmed to him that there were cases in Miami Beach. But he said, “There could be a link to Miami Beach.” He added, “We can expect to see Zika popping up here and there, but it’s not an epidemic.” The health official interviewed Thursday said Florida officials might be waiting to announce the new cluster until a decision was made about how large an area would be included in any new travel advisory, something that officials from the state and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention were discussing Thursday night. “At a minimum is expanding the travel advisory to Miami Beach,” the health official said. “What’s on the table right now is Miami Beach and making it bigger than Miami Beach. There are discussions about the whole of Miami-Dade County.” The C.D.C. had not issued a statement as of Thursday night, and agency officials said it would do so only after the State of Florida released more details about a new cluster and location. A city of 92,000 people, Miami Beach sits on a series of barrier islands east of Miami. Its crystalline waters, night clubs, restaurants and hip hotels make it one of the biggest tourist hot spots in the state. About seven million tourists stayed in Miami Beach hotels in 2015, and others visited without staying there, according to the Greater Miami Convention and Visitors Bureau. About half are international tourists, with Brazil leading the way. On Thursday, the health official with knowledge of the discussions said that any updated travel guidance would probably be similar to the advisory for Wynwood. Pregnant women were advised not to travel there and women who lived or worked in the zone, and their partners, were advised to protect themselves from mosquito bites and to practice protected sex. Among those affected by an advisory would be Batsheva Wulfsohn, who is seven and a half months pregnant, and her husband, Zak Stern. The couple live in Miami Beach, and Mr. Stern runs a bakery in Wynwood. “I’m still searching for that reasonable reaction to something that is still quite mysterious in its effects,” said Mr. Stern, who had not heard about the Miami Beach cases on Thursday. “My wife is trying to kind of balance doing everything she can as a responsible mother, while not allowing herself to be crippled in fear all day.” It is exactly that kind of balance that public health officials have also been striving for, said Dr. William Schaffner, the head of preventive medicine at Vanderbilt University’s medical school. In issuing travel warnings, he said, “they don’t want to do social and culture and economic harm and they don’t want to do medical and public health harm by indicating that people are at risk when the risk may be very, very low.” The authorities have limited travel advisories to Wynwood because it was linked to multiple cases, and because the Aedes aegypti mosquito, which transmits Zika, can travel only short distances, does not live long and does not pass the virus to its larvae, he said. Also, in two other viruses the mosquito transmits, dengue and chikungunya, a mosquito has usually infected only one person, not many, he said. “But the world is sometimes a little messier” than scientific precedent would suggest, he said. So far, health officials “have been making reasonable decisions, and we have all wondered what’s it going to take for them to expand the travel advisory,” he added. “They tread a fine line between really aggressive and being really cautious.” Lizette Alvarez reported from Miami Beach, and Pam Belluck from New York. A version of this article appears in print on August 19, 2016, on page A10 of the New York edition with the headline: Zika Cases May Prompt Call to Avoid Miami Beach. Order Reprints| Today's Paper|Subscribe http://www.nytimes.com/2016/08/19/science/new-cluster-of-zika-cases-is-reported-in-miami-beach.html?_r=1&referer=&referer

On Thursday, the health official with knowledge of the new developments said that in Miami Beach, there are “a handful of cases” of likely local transmission that involve people who were in “close proximity to each other,” including two new cases that the Florida Department of Health announced Thursday. http://www.nytimes.com/2016/08/19/science/new-cluster-of-zika-cases-is-reported-in-miami-beach.html?_r=1&referer=&referer

2) First Miami-Dade investigation outside the one-square mile: One (1) case (Announced on July 19) Total # of Samples Collected Negative Samples Positive Samples Pending Results 21 19 0 2 3) One (1) case in Palm Beach County: (Announced on Aug. 8) Total # of Samples Collected Negative Samples Positive Samples Pending Results 3 3 0 0 4) Second Miami-Dade investigation outside the one-square mile: One (1) case (Announced on Aug. 12) The investigation is beginning in this area in Miami-Dade County. Mosquito abatement and reduction activities will take place around the area of interest. 5) Third Miami-Dade investigation outside the one-square mile: One (1) case (Announced on Aug. 15) Total # of Samples Collected Negative Samples Positive Samples Pending Results 6 1 0 5 6) Fourth Miami-Dade investigation outside the one-square mile: One (1) case (Announced on Aug. 17) Total # of Samples Collected Negative Samples Positive Samples Pending Results 2 0 0 2 7) Fifth Miami-Dade investigation outside the one-square mile: One (1) case (Announced on Aug. 17) The investigation is beginning in this area in Miami-Dade County. Mosquito abatement and reduction activities will take place around the area of interest. 8) Sixth Miami-Dade investigation outside the one-square mile: One (1) case The investigation is beginning in this area in Miami-Dade County. Mosquito abatement and reduction activities will take place around the area of interest 9) Seventh Miami-Dade investigation outside the one-square mile: One (1) case http://www.floridahealth.gov/diseases-and-conditions/zika-virus/index.html?utm_source=flhealthIndex

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GOV. SCOTT: STATE OFFERING TOOLS TO TOURISM INDUSTRY TO FIGHT ZIKA On August 18, 2016, in News Releases, by Staff TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – Today, the Florida Department of Health (DOH) has confirmed that two additional individuals have acquired the Zika virus locally through mosquitoes in Miami-Dade County. The total number of local transmissions of Zika in Florida is now 35. In order to connect the tourism industry with resources to combat the spread of the Zika virus, Governor Scott today directed the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation (DBPR) and DOH to work with hotels, restaurants and attractions in Miami-Dade County on Zika prevention and education. Governor Scott has also directed DOH to offer these businesses mosquito abatement consultation services, which includes mosquito spraying, at no cost. Governor Scott has held two calls with Visit Florida and tourism leaders this month on Zika preparedness. Governor Scott said, “As we continue to aggressively assess and test people for Zika, we will make every resource available to fight this virus. While we still believe local transmissions are only occurring in an area that is less than one square mile in Wynwood, our state is committed to remaining vigilant in our Zika prevention, education and response efforts. Today I have directed DBPR to work closely with hotels, attractions and restaurants in Miami-Dade County to connect them with resources for Zika prevention and education. To assist in this effort, I have also directed DOH to work with DBPR to provide educational materials and offer mosquito spraying at no cost to these businesses in Miami-Dade County. “Tourism is a driving force of Florida’s economy and this industry has the full support of our state in the fight against the Zika virus. Additionally, our Department of Economic Opportunity is working with businesses that may have been impacted to ensure they have everything they need to remain successful. We will continue to work closely with our businesses and the tourism community to ensure their needs are met.” Any Miami-Dade County resident who would like to request mosquito control services for their residence or business should contact Miami-Dade Mosquito Control HERE. In addition to these efforts, the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity has made available a survey for businesses in Miami-Dade County that may be impacted by the Zika virus to complete. This survey will help DEO asses the needs of businesses and what resources can be quickly made available. The survey is available HERE. DEO, in partnership with the Small Business Development Center (SBDC) at Florida International University, has contacted more than 55 businesses in the Wynwood area. The SBDC is also sending email blasts to all the businesses and the Wynwood Improvement District to share information on Zika. At this time, DOH is investigating nine areas in Miami-Dade and Palm Beach Counties where local transmissions of Zika may have occurred (eight locations in Miami-Dade and one in Palm Beach). DOH has closed out the investigations into the first cases in Miami-Dade and Broward counties which were announced on July 29th. DOH tested 124 close contacts and individuals from the community and found no additional positive cases of Zika in those areas.

Today, the Florida Department of Health (DOH) has confirmed that two additional individuals have acquired the Zika virus locally through mosquitoes in Miami-Dade County. The total number of local transmissions of Zika in Florida is now 35. At this time, DOH is investigating nine areas in Miami-Dade and Palm Beach Counties where local transmissions of Zika may have occurred (eight locations in Miami-Dade and one in Palm Beach). http://www.flgov.com/2016/08/18/gov-scott-state-offering-tools-to-tourism-industry-to-fight-zika/

Mosquitoes reportedly transmitting Zika in Miami Beach Mosquitoes are actively transmitting the Zika virus in Miami Beach, sources keen on conversations that took place Thursday between Florida state health representatives and local officials have reportedly told the Miami Herald. Officials were expected to confirm the new zone of transmission that afternoon, and the news could threaten the tourism hotspot of Miami-Dade County. Officials had been trying to halt a possible spread of the virus from a 1-square-mile section of Wynwood, an arts hub in the county just north of downtown Miami, since identifying local transmission there on July 29. Wynwood marked the first zone of ongoing Zika transmission in the continental United States. “Our strategy has been and will continue to be focusing on the elimination of potential breeding sites and educating our residents and businesses on what they need to do,” Miami City Manager Jimmy Morales said in a written statement to the Herald. “We are also working with the county and they are also inspecting and as needed mitigating through techniques like clean ups, larvicides and fogging.” More on this... Study in mice shows Zika virus also attacks adult brain cells Volunteers sought as race to develop a Zika vaccine heats up Study sheds light on how Zika infects the placenta Since Zika started spreading in Wynwood, seven new local cases of Zika have been reported outside of that zone, the Herald reported. On Wednesday, the health department reported an additional three new local Zika infections in Miami-Dade, including one in the initial 1-square-mile zone and two others outside of it. The Herald reported that so far this year in Florida, 557 people, 63 of them pregnant, have contracted Zika. Thirty-three of those stem from local transmission in the state, and all except for seven have been traced to the Wynwood area." The number of cases in Miami Beach has not been confirmed. According to the Herald, Miami Beach is home to half of the county’s hotel rooms and the region depends on its $24 billion-a-year tourism industry. http://www.foxnews.com/health/2016/08/18/mosquitoes-reportedly-transmitting-zika-in-miami-beach.html?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+foxnews%2Fhealth+(Internal+-+Health+-+Text)

Number of cases reported County/Area Today Year to Date (8/16-18/16) Albany 1 4 Broome 1 2 Clinton 0 1 Columbia 0 1 Delaware 1 1 Dutchess 0 5 Erie 0 4 Lewis 0 1 Monroe 0 7 Nassau 1 36 Niagara 0 1 Oneida 0 3 Onondaga 0 5 Ontario 0 3 Orange 1 5 Otsego 0 1 Putnam 0 1 Rockland 0 8 St Lawrence 0 1 Schenectady 0 1 Suffolk 2 36 Tompkins 0 2 Wayne 0 2 Westchester 0 17 NYS (ex NYC) 7 148 NYC 11 502 NYS Total Confirmed 18 650 NYS Pregnant Registry 0 25 NYS Total 18 675

Local Zika Virus Transmissions Confirmed In Miami Beach THURSDAY, AUGUST 18, 2016 AT 3:33 P.M. BY JERRY IANNELLI Thithawat.S / Shutterstock A A Facebook 0 Twitter 0 More shares 0 0 The Zika virus has been transmitted locally to two people in Miami Beach, Commissioner Kristen Rosen Gonzalez toldNew Times via phone today. The Florida Department of Health had previously found active transmissions only in a small area surrounding Wynwood. Reading from a memo sent by City Manager Jimmy Morales, Gonzalez said one person who caught the virus was a tourist, while the other worked in the city. It's unclear where exactly on the Beach the two cases were contracted. Gonzalez said the city — which relies on tourism to survive economically — is "very concerned" about the virus's potential effects on local businesses and hotels. "This could be devastating to our tourism industry," she said. "Education is of the utmost importance right now." RELATED STORIES Five Diseases That Freaked Us Out Like Zika but Eventually Went Away Only 7 Percent of Florida Tourists Have Changed Travel Plans Due to Zika, Study Says Wynwood Business Owner Plans Protest Against Anti-Zika Pesticide Spraying According to Morales' memo, Gonzalez said the city will now focus on eliminating potential breeding sites, communicating with local businesses, and "fogging" the area with pesticides. "We need to do a massive PR campaign to educate people about the Zika virus, so people are not afraid to come to Miami Beach," Rosen Gonzalez says. "I should add, that includes educating not just residents, but businesses too." She added that she had not yet spoken to other city officials, and did not know what the city's next steps would be. The Florida Department of Health is expected to announce the news in the next hour, another city official briefed on the plans tells New Times. Morales, the city manager, said on Twitter today that the city is in "constant communication" with the Florida Department of Health right now. According to the yesterday's "Daily Zika Update" from the health department, 33 people have caught the virus in Florida so far, while 461 Floridians have caught Zika while traveling. If you believe you've caught the Zika virus, here are some tips as to how to get tested. Tim Elfrink contributed reporting to this report. http://www.miaminewtimes.com/news/local-zika-virus-transmissions-confirmed-in-miami-beach-8699331

day 3:56 pm Zika virus identified in Miami Beach: Miami Herald REUTERS share on Facebook share on Twitter Reuters Photo: (Reuters) - The Zika virus has been identified in Miami Beach, opening a new front in the battle against the virus, the Miami Herald reported on Thursday, citing people familiar with discussions between state and local health officials. Florida state health officials were not immediately available to comment on the report. Neither were city officials in Miami Beach. The Miami Herald cited a written statement by City Manager Jimmy Morales saying the city is in constant communication with the health department about the most effective approach to mosquito control. On Thursday, Miami Beach public works officials and code compliance officers spread out to inspect neighborhoods for mosquito breeding sites. The mosquito-born Zika virus has spread to more than 50 countries and territories since the outbreak began last year in Brazil. Now it is spreading in Florida. As of Aug. 17, there were 33 cases of non-travel-related infections in the state. To date the infections have been mostly contained within a small area in the Wynwood neighborhood of Miami. The prospect of it spreading more widely to the tourism-dependent Miami Beach area is liable to further elevate concerns. The virus has been linked to more than 1,700 cases of microcephaly in Brazil, a potentially severe birth defect that can cause infants to be born with shrunken heads and lead to developmental problems. (Reporting by Toni Clarke in Washington; Editing by Jonathan Oatis) http://www.metro.us/news/zika-virus-identified-in-miami-beach-miami-herald/jZzphr---KY_Zg6pl8OcF31_fzDJDUw/

Zika virus now spreading in Miami Beach, Herald reports BY JOEY FLECHAS AND DANIEL CHANG, Miami Herald Thursday, August 18, 2016 3:39pm 0 0 Print 0 Fran Middlebrooks, a grounds keeper at Pinecrest Gardens, uses a blower to spray pesticide to kill mosquitos Aug. 4 in Miami, as Miami-Dade County fights to control the Zika virus outbreak. [Gaston De Cardenas | Miami Herald via TNS] Fran Middlebrooks, a grounds keeper at Pinecrest Gardens, uses a blower to spray pesticide to kill mosquitos Aug. 4 in Miami, as Miami-Dade County fights to control the Zika virus outbreak. [Gaston De Cardenas | Miami Herald via TNS] MIAMI — A new area of ongoing Zika transmission has been identified in Miami Beach, the Miami Herald reports, citing sources familiar with discussions that Florida health officials held with local public officials Thursday to alert them. RELATED NEWS/ARCHIVE In Miami, Clinton to call on Congress to act on Zika virus 1 Week Ago World Health Organization declares global emergency over Zika virus spread 6 Months Ago Citizens, legislators must step up to stop spread of Zika virus 3 Months Ago State officials are expected to identify a specific geographic area for ongoing Zika transmission within Miami Beach this afternoon, the Herald reports. The Florida Department of Health did not immediately respond to request for comment. South Florida's hospitality industry has dreaded the possibility of Zika spreading to Miami Beach because the region's economy relies heavily on its $24 billion-a-year tourism industry. More than half of the hotel rooms in Miami-Dade are located in Miami Beach. Starting Thursday morning, Miami Beach public works officials and code compliance officers were dispatched to neighborhoods to inspect for mosquito breeding sites. City Manager Jimmy Morales said in a written statement that the city is in constant communication with the health department regarding the most effective approach to mosquito control. "Our strategy has been and will continue to be focusing on the elimination of potential breeding sites and educating our residents and businesses on what they need to do," Morales said in the statement. "We are also working with the county and they are also inspecting and as needed mitigating through techniques like clean ups, larvicides and fogging." The first area in the continental United States with ongoing Zika transmission was identified by Gov. Rick Scott on July 29, when he announced that the virus was being spread by local mosquitoes within a one-square-mile zone north of downtown Miami in the Wynwood neighborhood. At least seven new local cases of Zika have cropped up outside of that zone in Wynwood since then, however, including one in Southwest Miami-Dade. On Wednesday, the health department reported three new local Zika infections in Miami-Dade, including one inside the Wynwood zone and two others outside of it. A total of 557 people in Florida have contracted Zika this year, including 63 pregnant women. Of those, 33 are locally acquired cases, with all but seven traced to the Wynwood zone. Epidemiologists continue to interview residents and collect blood and urine samples inside the designated zone, but they also have launched investigations into six Zika infections that occurred outside of that area. One is in Palm Beach, and the other five are in Miami-Dade. Health officials have not said whether they suspect any of the local cases were sexually transmitted. Florida health officials have said repeatedly that one case does not mean active transmission is occurring in an area. Instead, health officials investigate each case by interview, and taking blood and urine samples from close contacts and neighbors around each person infected. The Zika response plan published by the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in June notes that "a starting point" for defining an area of local transmission is two or more infections (not related to travel or sex) among people who do not share the same household and which occurred inside a one-mile diameter with one month. Contact Daniel Chang at (305) 376-2012 and Joey Flechas at (305) 376-3602. http://www.tampabay.com/news/health/zika-virus-now-spreading-in-miami-beach-herald-reports/2290076

REPORT: Zika has now spread to to Miami Beach Lydia Ramsey 5m 93 FACEBOOK LINKEDIN TWITTER An Aedes aegypti mosquito, which is the bug responsible for spreading Zika and other diseases.Thomson Reuters Zika has now spread beyond what was previously the only neighborhood with local transmission in the continental US, according to a report in the Miami Herald. In addition to the Wynwood neighborhood in Miami, at least some part of Miami Beach is also experiencing mosquito-transmitted Zika, the Herald reports, citing sources familiar with Florida health officials' discussion. The Florida Department of Health has yet to confirm this report. Miami is the first area reporting cases of mosquito-transmitted Zika in the continental US, though the outbreak has affected other US territories including Puerto Rico. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has issued a travel warning advising against pregnant women traveling to the area, and people living in the area should take steps to prevent mosquito bites. The CDC also said women in first and second trimesters of pregnancy who live or travel frequently to Wynwood should consider being tested for Zika. Zika, which is transmitted mainly by mosquitoes, has been spreading around the Americas over the past year. The cases in Miami are the first time local transmission by mosquitoes has been reported in the continental US. Only about 20% of people who are infected with Zika ever show symptoms, which most commonly include fever, rash, joint pain, and red eyes. http://www.businessinsider.com/zika-miami-beach-2016-8

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

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

Report: Zika virus has spread to Miami Beach Zika transmission zone in Miami Beach to be announced By Jeff Tavss - Executive Producer Posted: 2:42 PM, August 18, 2016Updated: 2:56 PM, August 18, 2016 0 0 MIAMI BEACH, Fla. - The Zika virus has reportedly jumped from mainland Miami-Dade County to Miami Beach. The Miami Herald reports that a new Zika transmission has been identified in Miami Beach and that officials will detail a new transmission zone within the city. More Zika Virus Headlines Health officials investigate 4 areas for possible local Zika virus transmissions Wynwood businesses remain hopeful amid Zika virus fears Mayor runs into protesters angry over pesticides to fight Zika Zika virus can remain in sperm for 6 months Miami-Dade mayor wants more from Gov. Rick Scott to fight Zika The report added that Miami Beach officials and code compliance officers were already at work inspecting for mosquito breeding sites. Miami Beach City Manager Jimmy Morales tweeted out that the city's strategy "has been & will continue to be focusing on elimination of potential breeding sites, educating residents, visitors & businesses." Morales said the city is working with Miami-Dade County and they are inspecting Miami Beach as necessary. Up until now, the only specified zone in the U.S. was in the Wynwood neighborhood north of downtown Miami. However, non-travel related transmissions of Zika have been identified outside Wynwood. The Herald says the Florida Department of Health has not responded to their request for comment. http://www.local10.com/health/zika-virus/report-zika-virus-has-spread-into-miami-beach

Jamie Guirola ‏@jamieNBC6 38m38 minutes agoMiami Beach, FL #BREAKING Source: Tourist who has #Zika visited #MiamiBeach two weeks ago. @MiamiBeachNews working with @HealthyFla re: w cases here @nbc6 5 retweets0 likes Reply Retweet 5 Like More Jamie Guirola ‏@jamieNBC6 44m44 minutes agoMiami Beach, FL #BREAKING Sources: 2 new cases of #ZIKA, this time on @MiamiBeachNews .1 tourist, 1 resident. Follow me for more updates. @nbc6