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Department of Health Responds to Local Zika CasesBy Florida Department of Health, Office of Communications July 29, 2016 Press ReleaseSHARE THIS PAGEFacebookTwitterJuly 29, 2016 DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH RESPONDS TO LOCAL ZIKA CASES Contact:Communications [email protected](850) 245-4111 Tallahassee, Fla.—The Florida Department of Health has gathered enough information as part of its ongoing investigation into non-travel related cases of Zika in Miami-Dade and Broward counties to conclude that a high likelihood exists that four cases are the result of local transmission. At this time, the department believes that active transmission of the Zika virus are occurring in one small area in Miami-Dade County, just north of downtown. The exact location is within the boundaries of the following area: NW 5th Avenue to the west, US 1 to the east, NW/NE 38th Street to the north and NW/NE 20th Street to the south. This area is about 1 square mile and a map is below to detail the area. While no mosquitoes trapped tested positive for the Zika virus, the department believes these cases were likely transmitted through infected mosquitoes in this area. The department is actively conducting door-to-door outreach and urine sample collection in the impacted area and will share more details as they become available. The results from these efforts will help department determine the number of people affected. These local cases were identified by clinicians who brought them to the attention of the department. In addition, blood banks in the area are currently excluding donations from impacted areas until screening protocols are in place. In an effort to keep Florida residents and visitors safe and aware about the status of the Zika virus, the department will continue to issue a Zika virus update each week day at 2 p.m. Updates will include a CDC-confirmed Zika case count by county and information to better keep Floridians prepared. There are three new travel-related cases today in Miami-Dade County. According to CDC, symptoms associated with the Zika virus last between seven to 10 days. CDC recommends that women who are pregnant or thinking of becoming pregnant postpone travel to areas with widespread Zika infection. Florida’s small case cluster is not considered widespread transmission.According to CDC guidance, providers should consider testing all pregnant women with a history of travel to a Zika affected area for the virus. CDC recommends that a pregnant woman with a history of Zika virus and her provider should consider additional ultrasounds. Florida has been monitoring pregnant women with evidence of Zika regardless of symptoms since January. The total number of pregnant women who have been monitored is 55, with 18 having met the previous CDC case definition. The Council of State and Territorial Epidemiologists and CDC released a new case definition for Zika that now includes reporting both asymptomatic and symptomatic cases of Zika. Prior to this change, states reported only symptomatic non-pregnant cases and pregnant cases regardless of symptoms. This change comes as a result of increased availability for testing in commercial laboratories. County Number of Cases (all travel related) Alachua 5 Brevard 8 Broward 55 Charlotte 1 Citrus 2 Clay 3 Collier 4 Duval 6 Escambia 2 Highlands 1 Hillsborough 10 Lake 1 Lee 6 Manatee 1 Martin 1 Miami-Dade 99 Okaloosa 2 Okeechobee 1 Orange 40 Osceola 18 Palm Beach 18 Pasco 6 Pinellas 7 Polk 12 Santa Rosa 1 Seminole 12 St. Johns 3 St. Lucie 1 Volusia 5 Total cases not involving pregnant women 331 Cases involving pregnant women regardless of symptoms* 55 *Counties of pregnant women will not be shared. On Feb. 12, Governor Scott directed the State Surgeon General to activate a Zika Virus Information Hotline for current Florida residents and visitors, as well as anyone planning on traveling to Florida in the near future. The hotline, managed by the Department of Health, has assisted 2,421 callers since it launched. The number for the Zika Virus Information Hotline is 1-855-622-6735. 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. Residents and visitors also need to use repellents when enjoying the Florida outdoors. More Information on DOH action on Zika: On Feb. 3, Governor Scott directed the State Surgeon General to issue a Declaration of Public Health Emergency for the counties of residents with travel-associated cases of Zika.There have been 29 counties included in the declaration– Alachua, Brevard, Broward, Charlotte, Citrus, Clay, Collier, Duval, Escambia, Highlands, Hillsborough, Lake, Lee, Manatee, Martin, Miami-Dade, Okaloosa, Okeechobee, Orange, Osceola, Palm Beach, Pasco, Pinellas, Polk, Santa Rosa, Seminole, St. Johns, St. Lucie and Volusia – and will be updated as needed. DOH encourages Florida residents and visitors to protect themselves from all mosquito-borne illnesses by draining standing water; covering their clothing and bare skin with repellent; and covering windows with screens.DOH has a robust mosquito-borne illness surveillance system and is working with CDC, the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services and local county mosquito control boards to ensure that the proper precautions are being taken to protect Florida residents and visitors.On April 6, Governor Scott and Interim State Surgeon General Dr. Celeste Philip hosted a conference call with Florida Mosquito Control Districts to discuss ongoing preparations to fight the possible spread of the Zika virus in Florida. There were 74 attendees on the call.On May 11, Governor Scott met with federal leaders on the importance of preparing for Zika as we would a hurricane. Governor Scott requested 5,000 Zika preparedness kits from HHS Secretary Sylvia Burwell as well as a plan from FEMA on how resources will be allocated to states in the event an emergency is declared.On June 1, Governor Scott requested for President Obama to provide preparedness items needed in order to increase Florida’s capacity to be ready when Zika becomes mosquito-borne in our state.On June 9, Governor Scott spoke with Health and Human Services Secretary Sylvia Burwell and CDC Director Dr. Tom Frieden on Zika preparedness and reiterated the requests that he has continued to make to the federal government to prepare for the Zika virus once it becomes mosquito-borne in Florida. Governor Scott also requested that the CDC provide an additional 1,300 Zika antibody tests to Florida to allow individuals, especially pregnant women and new mothers, to see if they ever had the Zika virus.On June 23, Governor Scott announced that he will use his emergency executive authority to allocate $26.2 million in state funds for Zika preparedness, prevention and response in Florida.On June 28, the department announced the first confirmed case of microcephaly in an infant born in Florida whose mother had a travel-related case of Zika. The mother of the infant contracted Zika while in Haiti. Following the confirmation of this case, Governor Scott called on CDC to host a call with Florida medical professionals, including OBGYNs and physicians specializing in family medicine, to discuss the neurological impacts of Zika and what precautions new and expecting mothers should take.On July 1, CDC hosted a call with Florida medical professionals, including OB/GYNs, pediatricians and physicians specializing in family medicine, to discuss the neurological impacts of Zika and what precautions new and expecting mothers should take. More than 120 clinicians participated.Florida currently has the capacity to test 6,609 people for active Zika virus and 2,059 for Zika antibodies.Federal Guidance on Zika: According to CDC, Zika illness is generally mild with a rash, fever and joint pain. CDC researchers have concluded that Zika virus is a cause of microcephaly and other birth defects.The FDA released guidance regarding donor screening, deferral and product management to reduce the risk of transfusion-transmission of Zika virus. Additional information is available on the FDA website here.CDC has put out guidance related to the sexual transmission of the Zika virus. This includes CDC recommendation that if you have traveled to a country with local transmission of Zika you should abstain from unprotected sex.For more information on Zika virus, click here. About the Florida Department of Health The department, nationally accredited by the Public Health Accreditation Board, works to protect, promote and improve the health of all people in Florida through integrated state, county and community efforts. Follow us on Twitter at @HealthyFla and on Facebook. For more information about the Florida Department of Health, please visit www.FloridaHealth.gov. http://www.floridahealth.gov/newsroom/2016/07/072916-local-zika.html

Florida has issued a press release defining area of Zika transmission by mosquitoes in Miami Dade and Broward Counties.

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Laboratory-confirmed Zika virus disease cases reported to ArboNET by state or territory — United States, 2015–2016 (as of July 27, 2016) http://www.cdc.gov/zika/geo/united-states.html StatesTravel-associated cases* No. (% of cases in states) (N=1,658)Locally acquired cases† No. (% of cases in states) (N=0)Alabama9 (1)0 (0)Arizona10 (1)0 (0)Arkansas5 (<1)0 (0)California87 (5)0 (0)Colorado18 (1)0 (0)Connecticut38 (2)0 (0)Delaware10 (1)0 (0)District of Columbia10 (1)0 (0)Florida307 (19)0 (0)Georgia41 (2)0 (0)Hawaii10 (1)0 (0)Illinois29 (2)0 (0)Indiana15 (1)0 (0)Iowa9 (1)0 (0)Kansas6 (<1)0 (0)Kentucky10 (1)0 (0)Louisiana9 (1)0 (0)Maine7 (<1)0 (0)Maryland48 (3)0 (0)Massachusetts52 (3)0 (0)Michigan14 (1)0 (0)Minnesota21 (1)0 (0)Mississippi11 (1)0 (0)Missouri8 (<1)0 (0)Montana1 (<1)0 (0)Nebraska4 (<1)0 (0)

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Laboratory-confirmed Zika virus disease cases reported to ArboNET by state or territory — United States, 2015–2016 (as of July 27, 2016) http://www.cdc.gov/zika/geo/united-states.html StatesTravel-associated cases* No. (% of cases in states) (N=1,658)Locally acquired cases† No. (% of cases in states) (N=0)Alabama9 (1)0 (0)Arizona10 (1)0 (0)Arkansas5 (<1)0 (0)California87 (5)0 (0)Colorado18 (1)0 (0)Connecticut38 (2)0 (0)Delaware10 (1)0 (0)District of Columbia10 (1)0 (0)Florida307 (19)0 (0)Georgia41 (2)0 (0)Hawaii10 (1)0 (0)Illinois29 (2)0 (0)Indiana15 (1)0 (0)Iowa9 (1)0 (0)Kansas6 (<1)0 (0)Kentucky10 (1)0 (0)Louisiana9 (1)0 (0)Maine7 (<1)0 (0)Maryland48 (3)0 (0)Massachusetts52 (3)0 (0)Michigan14 (1)0 (0)

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Laboratory-confirmed Zika virus disease cases reported to ArboNET by state or territory — United States, 2015–2016 (as of July 27, 2016) http://www.cdc.gov/zika/geo/united-states.html StatesTravel-associated cases* No. (% of cases in states) (N=1,658)Locally acquired cases† No. (% of cases in states) (N=0)Alabama9 (1)0 (0)Arizona10 (1)0 (0)Arkansas5 (<1)0 (0)California87 (5)0 (0)Colorado18 (1)0 (0)Connecticut38 (2)0 (0)Delaware10 (1)0 (0)District of Columbia10 (1)0 (0)Florida307 (19)0 (0)Georgia41 (2)0 (0)Hawaii10 (1)0 (0)Illinois29 (2)0 (0)Indiana15 (1)0 (0)Iowa9 (1)0 (0)Kansas6 (<1)0 (0)Kentucky10 (1)0 (0)Louisiana9 (1)0 (0)Maine7 (<1)0 (0)Maryland48 (3)0 (0)Massachusetts52 (3)0 (0)

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Laboratory-confirmed Zika virus disease cases reported to ArboNET by state or territory — United States, 2015–2016 (as of July 27, 2016) http://www.cdc.gov/zika/geo/united-states.html StatesTravel-associated cases* No. (% of cases in states) (N=1,658)Locally acquired cases† No. (% of cases in states) (N=0)Alabama9 (1)0 (0)Arizona10 (1)0 (0)Arkansas5 (<1)0 (0)California87 (5)0 (0)Colorado18 (1)0 (0)Connecticut38 (2)0 (0)Delaware10 (1)0 (0)District of Columbia10 (1)0 (0)Florida307 (19)0 (0)Georgia41 (2)0 (0)Hawaii10 (1)0 (0)Illinois29 (2)0 (0)Indiana15 (1)0 (0)

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Laboratory-confirmed Zika virus disease cases reported to ArboNET by state or territory — United States, 2015–2016 (as of July 27, 2016) States Travel-associated cases* No. (% of cases in states) (N=1,658) Locally acquired cases† No. (% of cases in states) (N=0) Alabama 9 (1) 0 (0) Arizona 10 (1) 0 (0) Arkansas 5 (<1) 0 (0) California 87 (5) 0 (0) Colorado 18 (1) 0 (0) http://www.cdc.gov/zika/geo/united-states.html

FDA: No Miami-area blood donations during Zika investigation By Jennifer Kay, Associated Press POSTED: 07/28/16, 10:53 AM PDT | UPDATED: 11 HRS AGO 0 COMMENTS MIAMI (AP) — Federal authorities have told blood centers in two Florida counties to suspend collections amid investigations into four mysterious cases of Zika infection that may be the first spread by mosquitoes on the U.S. mainland. Blood centers in the Miami and Fort Lauderdale areas were asked to immediately stop collecting blood until they can screen each unit of blood for the Zika virus with authorized tests, according to a statement on the U.S. Food and Drug Administration website. Florida health officials have said the infections in Miami-Dade and Broward counties may not be linked to travel outside the U.S., but they have not confirmed how the virus spread. Investigators are going door-to-door in the affected areas to talk with residents and collect samples. No mosquitoes collected from those areas so far have tested positive for Zika, said Jennifer Meale, spokeswoman for the state's Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services. Advertisement The FDA recommends that neighboring counties also implement the same precautions "to help maintain the safety of the blood supply as soon as possible." Visitors to South Florida in the last month are being urged to defer donations as well. The FDA previously advised U.S. blood banks to refuse donations from people who recently travelled to areas outside the country that have Zika outbreaks. Florida's main supplier of blood said it was working as quickly as possible to comply with the FDA's "unanticipated" request and would start testing all its collections for Zika on Friday. OneBlood suspended collections earlier this week in the areas of Miami-Dade and Broward counties that are being investigated, according to a statement released Thursday. The FDA is working with companies making the blood screening tests available to expand their operations, and blood centers nationwide can do this testing even without the transmission of Zika by local mosquitoes, Peter Marks, director of the FDA's Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research, said in a statement Thursday. Blood banks in Texas and Hawaii have begun or soon will start testing blood donations for the Zika virus. Puerto Rico suspended blood donations and imported blood products for the month of March until U.S. health officials approved the use of an experimental test to screen blood donations for the virus. Messages left Thursday for officials at the Florida Department of Health were not immediately returned. Miami-Dade County's Department of Solid Waste Management released a statement saying mosquito control inspectors are spraying pesticides and eliminating mosquito breeding sites in response to both to residents' complaints and health department requests. Residents are reminded that they are the first line of defense against the spread of mosquito-borne viruses. Residents can help by draining any standing water outside their homes, covering areas where standing water is likely to accumulate, and using mosquito repellent outdoors. Zika is mainly spread by mosquitoes, as well as sex. So far, the 1,400 infections reported in the U.S. — including 383 in Florida — have been linked to travel to countries in Latin America or the Caribbean with Zika outbreaks. There have been no reports of the virus in the country's blood supply, though FDA officials have said Zika transmission through blood is possible. The virus causes only a mild illness in most people, but scientists have confirmed that infection during pregnancy can lead to severe brain-related birth defects. The tropical mosquito that spreads Zika and other viruses is found in the southern U.S. While health officials have predicted that mosquitoes in the continental U.S. would begin spreading Zika this summer, they also have said they expect only isolated clusters of infections and not widespread outbreaks. http://www.orovillemr.com/business/20160728/fda-no-miami-area-blood-donations-during-zika-investigation

OneBlood to begin screening all donations for ZikaSouth Florida's largest blood supplier will begin screening all donations for the Zika virus on Friday, two days after federal regulators asked for collections to stop immediately. Diane C. LadeContact ReporterSun SentinelAll blood donations will be screened for Zika in Broward, Miami-Dade Privacy Policy South Florida's largest blood supplier will begin screening all donations for the Zika virus on Friday, two days after federal regulators asked for collections to stop immediately. They cited concerns about four mysterious Zika virus cases being investigated in Miami-Dade and Broward counties. The Food and Drug Administration on Wednesday requested all blood donations in the two counties be immediately stopped until approved Zika screenings for every unit collected, or the use of technologies that kill pathogens, could be implemented. FDA officials recommended nearby counties do the same "to help maintain the safety of the blood supply." The FDA also urged travelers who had visited the Miami and Fort Lauderdale areas over the last month to not donate blood for the time being, according to the Associated Press. State and federal public health officials are continuing their probe, in its second week, of two Zika cases in Broward and two in Miami-Dade that may not have been brought here by travelers. If confirmed, South Florida could become the first place in the continental United States to have Zika infections transmitted by local mosquitoes. Promoted stories from PoliticsChatter.com Chelsea asks Ivanka: How will Trump help women?Ann Coulter: Did Hillary ‘gas’ Bernie’s supporters?Flashback: Hillary Clinton through the years OneBlood, the blood bank supplying most of Florida's largest hospitals, will begin using a new Zika investigational donor screening test on 100 percent of its donations beginning Friday, said spokeswoman Susan Forbes. Health officials investigating two new possible local Zika cases in South FloridaNo donations were interrupted and it's anticipated none will need to be discarded because of the FDA request, Forbes said. An earlier written statement from OneBlood said it had suspended collections in parts of South Florida earlier this week, in cooperation with state health officials, due to the ongoing investigations. OneBlood supplies more than 200 hospitals in Florida as well as parts of Georgia, Alabama and South Carolina. Forbes said the blood bank added questions about Zika to its donor history query and deferral guidelines earlier this year, and issued educational materials to donors "to protect the blood supply." Mara Gambineri, spokeswoman for the Florida Department of Health, said smaller blood banks were working toward implementing Zika screens as well. Dr. Peter Marks, director of the FDA's Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research, said in a statement Thursday that some U.S regions that, like Florida, are at high risk of developing local Zika outbreaks already have started screening their blood supplies. The FDA is working with companies under its Investigational New Drug application, Marks said, to develop and expand accurate Zika blood supply screening even for areas not facing local transmission. Florida has 328 confirmed Zika cases as of Thursday, the most of any state and about 18 percent of the national total. About half of Florida's cases are in Miami-Dade and Broward counties. There are an additional 55 Florida cases involving pregnant women, including two new ones on Thursday. These patients are considered high risk, as Zika infections can cause severe birth defects among newborns. U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy, during a Thursday press briefing in Washington, D.C., on Zika and the 2016 Rio Summer Olympics, advised pregnant women against traveling to the Games, as the virus is endemic in Brazil. He stopped short, however, of telling them not to travel to South Florida -- although he did say couples considering starting a family should talk to their doctors about timing their pregnancies if concerned. "At this point, we are not recommending travel restrictions to South Florida," Murthy said. "What we are going to do is work closely with Florida [on] identifying any local cases." [email protected] or 954-356-4295 http://www.sun-sentinel.com/health/fl-zika-stops-blood-donations-broward-miami-20160728-story.html

FDA Halts Florida Blood Donations in 2 Counties Over Concerns of Zika OutbreakBy GILLIAN MOHNEYJul 28, 2016, 2:36 PM ET ABCNews.comWATCH Fighting Zika in the US: The Battle Over GMO Mosquitoes293SHARES EmailBlood donations have been halted in two Florida counties being investigated as the epicenter of a possible outbreak of locally transmitted Zika virus, according to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. At least four cases of Zika infections in Miami-Dade and Broward counties are being investigated by the Florida Health Department as a possible outbreak of locally transmitted Zika. Yesterday, the FDA asked all blood donation centers in both Miami-Dade and Broward counties to cease collecting blood until they can implement tests to check donor blood for signs of the Zika virus. The FDA also recommended that adjacent and nearby counties adhere to these requirements as well. "These may be the first cases of local Zika virus transmission by mosquitoes in the continental United States," FDA officials said in a statement. "In consideration of the possibility of an emerging local outbreak of Zika virus, and as a prudent measure to help assure the safety of blood and blood products, FDA is requesting that all blood establishments in Miami-Dade County and Broward County cease collecting blood immediately until" officials can implement tests for Zika. Zika Virus May Remain in Semen Longer Than Previously Thought Fighting Zika in the US: The Battle Over GMO Mosquitoes Zika Virus Outbreak: US Olympic Committee 'Will Not' Stop Athletes From Going to Brazil More than 1,650 people have been diagnosed with Zika within the U.S., but the vast majority have been people who contracted the virus while abroad. A small number of people contracted the Zika virus through sexual transmission within the U.S. http://abcnews.go.com/Health/fda-halts-florida-blood-donations-counties-concerns-zika/story?id=40964482

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The first confirmed case of the mosquito-borne Zika virus has surfaced in Cullman County, a state health official confirmed Thursday. Lab tests confirmed last week that a local resident had contracted the virus after recently traveling to a country afflicted with the illness which has been linked to potential severe birth defects in babies born to infected mothers. “The person had traveled to one of the countries that is currently affected by Zika — that is in the Caribbean, South America and Central America,” said Assistant State Health Officer Dr. Scott Harris who is the Public Health Area 3 Health Officer overseeing Cullman County. “We have counseled that patient to make sure they received appropriate care from a doctor and to avoid exposure to mosquitos for the next few weeks. We also sent one of our environmentalists to that person’s home to survey the area and neighborhood surrounding it to make sure there is no standing water or other areas where mosquitos can breed.” “We take those steps because we want to make sure the virus is not transmitted to anyone else in the area.” The Zika virus is contracted primarily through the bite of an infected Aedes species mosquito. These are the same mosquitoes that spread dengue and chikungunya viruses. Fortunately, the Aedes species has been pushed out of Alabama by the Asian tiger mosquito. Scientists discovered when male Asian tiger mosquitoes attempt to breed with female aedes aegypti, females are left sterile. To date, there have been 15 confirmed Zika cases in Alabama, Harris said. http://www.cullmantimes.com/news/first-zika-case-confirmed-in-cullman-county/article_551a4226-5527-11e6-9733-0f4c6d2ab974.html

Alabama to start screening blood for Zika VirusThursday, July 28th 2016, 10:58 pm EDTFriday, July 29th 2016, 12:22 am EDTBy Kacey Drescher, Reporter / AnchorCONNECT (Source: WSFA 12 News)MONTGOMERY CO., AL (WSFA) -The Zika Virus prompted the FDA to stop the collection of blood in three Florida counties on Thursday. Unfortunately, it comes on the heels of an announcement by the American Red Cross that our region is facing another critical blood shortage. Officials with LifeSouth Blood Centers confirm we are approaching another emergency need, and amid Zika concerns, a new Zika test will be introduced to Alabama next week. Life South's District Community Development Coordinator says anytime there is a disaster or a need in another state and blood centers have to shut down, collection centers are there to help one another. Officials say Florida will begin using this new FDA-approved Zika screening test Friday, that will be available to Alabama and Georgia donation centers Tuesday. "It's not going to be an additional stick or anything like that to the donor. When the donor comes in and donates blood it’s just an additional testing that will be done in the lab with the blood that was collected just to make sure, you know, we're always looking for ways to keep our blood supply very safe, as safe as we possibly can,” said Melinda Hinds, district community development coordinator for LifeSouth Blood Centers. The American Red Cross, Alabama-Central Gulf Coast Region issued the following alert this week: Officials want to remind folks that you can't contract Zika through donating blood. Until the new Zika testing is rolled out Tuesday, Life South will be asking donors additional screening questions, including their recent travel destinations. Those who have recently been to a Zika infested area will be deferred from donating for 28 days. http://www.wbrc.com/story/32569134/alabama-to-start-screening-blood-for-zika-virus

July 28, 2016 StatementThe FDA is tasked with taking important steps to respond to Zika cases in the United States. One of the agency’s key public health responsibilities is to help ensure the safety of the nation’s blood supply. Recently, the Office of the Florida Department of Health State Surgeon General announced that it is conducting an epidemiological investigation into a number of non-travel related cases of Zika virus in Miami-Dade and Broward Counties. These may be the first cases of local Zika virus transmission by mosquitoes in the continental United States. Miami-Dade County and Broward Counties are adjacent counties in South Florida. In consideration of the possibility of local transmission of the Zika virus, and as a prudent measure to help assure the safety of blood and blood products, the FDA is requesting that all blood establishments in Miami-Dade County and Broward County cease collecting blood immediately until the blood establishments implement testing of each individual unit of blood collected in the two counties with an available investigational donor screening test for Zika virus RNA or until the blood establishments implement the use of an approved or investigational pathogen inactivation technology. Additionally, the FDA recommends that adjacent and nearby counties implement the precautions above to help maintain the safety of the blood supply as soon as possible. The FDA is also working closely with companies that are making blood screening tests available under an Investigational New Drug application (IND) to ensure that these companies are ready to expand testing as needed. Blood collection establishments in the rest of the United States may also choose now or in the future to participate in testing under IND, even in the absence of local mosquito-borne transmission of Zika virus. The FDA continues to support those regions of the United States at risk of local mosquito-borne Zika transmission that have already started screening their blood supply for Zika virus and encourages other areas at high risk to begin doing so. The FDA will continue to monitor this potential outbreak in cooperation with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and Florida State public health authorities, and will provide updates as additional information becomes available. In addition to protecting the nation’s blood supply, the FDA is prioritizing the development of diagnostic tests that may be useful for identifying infection with the virus, helping to facilitate the development and evaluation of investigational vaccines and therapeutics, and reviewing technology that may help suppress populations of the mosquitoes that can spread the virus. http://www.fda.gov/NewsEvents/Newsroom/PressAnnouncements/ucm513792.htm

July 27, 2016 The Office of the ‎Florida Department of Health State Surgeon General has announced that it is conducting an epidemiological investigation into a number of non-travel related cases of Zika virus in Miami-Dade and Broward Counties. These may be the first cases of local Zika virus transmission by mosquitoes in the continental United States. Miami-Dade County and Broward County are adjacent counties in South Florida. In consideration of the possibility of an emerging local outbreak of Zika virus, and as a prudent measure to help assure the safety of blood and blood products, FDA is requesting that all blood establishments in Miami-Dade County and Broward County cease collecting blood immediately until the blood establishments implement testing of each individual unit of blood collected in the two counties with an available investigational donor screening test for Zika virus RNA or until the blood establishments implement the use of an approved or investigational pathogen inactivation technology. Additionally, FDA recommends that adjacent and nearby counties implement the precautions above to help maintain the safety of the blood supply as soon as possible. For blood collection establishments outside of this region, FDA suggests that donors who have traveled to Miami-Dade and Broward Counties during the previous 4 weeks be deferred. FDA will continue to monitor this potential outbreak in cooperation with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and Florida State public health authorities and provide updates as additional information becomes available. http://www.fda.gov/BiologicsBloodVaccines/SafetyAvailability/ucm513583.htm

Scientists Slam CDC For Silence On New Florida Zika CasesLocal mosquitoes may be infecting people with Zika in south Florida, prompting the FDA to halt blood donations there. But the CDC hasn’t weighed in yet. Originally posted on Jul. 28, 2016, at 3:55 p.m.Updated on Jul. 28, 2016, at 4:52 p.m.Dan VerganoBuzzFeed News ReporterTweetTumblr CDC/James Gathany Florida health officials are now investigating four Zika virus patients who are suspected of catching the disease from local mosquitoes, raising questions about what to tell pregnant women in and around Miami, a city of 5.5 million people. “These may be the first cases of local Zika virus transmission by mosquitoes in the continental United States,” the FDA said in a statement requesting that all blood donation centers start screening for Zika virus in two south Florida counties, Miami-Dade and Broward, temporarily halting donations there. People who have traveled to those counties shouldn’t donate blood for four weeks afterwards, the FDA said. Florida authorities announced the first possible case on July 19. Independent scientists are puzzled why it has taken them so long to confirm them. “Why the hold-up in making an announcement?” infectious disease expert Peter Hotez of the Baylor College of Medicine asked BuzzFeed News. Hotez says an announcement from CDC is overdue, especially if the agency is waiting to find a mosquito with the virus in Florida, a needle in the haystack endeavor, before making a confirmation. The only reason would be “some strange political agenda,” he said by email, where they don’t want the announcement falling in the middle of the Democratic National Convention. “This has become a chronic problem in our nation, a general wall of silence and lack of openness in terms of timely public health communication during times of epidemics,” Hotez added, citing the 2001 anthrax attacks, 2009 swine flu outbreak, and 2014 ebola cases, where inadequate public health warnings initially added to public confusion about diseases. “In my opinion, this has been an issue ever since the office of the US Surgeon General was disempowered more than 20 years ago.” Asked by BuzzFeed News at a CDC telebriefing, Surgeon General Vivek Murthy said “it is too soon” to extend CDC travel recommendations for pregnant women to south Florida. He cited state health officials’ efforts to trap a Zika infected mosquito, and continued investigation into possible sexual transmission of the virus among the suspect case patients. ”The possibility of local transmission in Miami-Dade and Broward counties makes it all the more important that women who are pregnant, or who might potentially become pregnant, take all precautions,” Murthy added, chiefly avoiding mosquitoes. CDC / James Gathany Zika infections during pregnancy are now linked to more than 1,700 cases of microcephaly, the severe shrunken skull and brain birth defect. Most of the affected infants are in Brazil, with cases in a dozen other countries. “Our patients are very frightened,” ob-gyn Karen Harris, chairwoman of the Florida district of the American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, told BuzzFeed News. “It’s probably going to spread all the way up the state.” The CDC has not issued any warnings for pregnant women about traveling in Florida, CDC spokesman Tom Skinner told BuzzFeed News. But the public health agency does recommend they avoid travel to 50 Zika-afflicted nations or territories, including Puerto Rico. “Evidence is mounting to suggest local transmission via mosquitoes is going on in South Florida,” Skinner told Reuters on Wednesday, though he declined to elaborate on this evidence for BuzzFeed News. About 1,400 people in the US have been infected by the Zika virus in cases acquired through travel or sexual transmission, according to the CDC. The Florida Department of Health does not have a recommendation for pregnant women living in Miami, or those contemplating travel to south Florida, a popular travel destination. The department says that it has interviewed about 200 people in the investigation of the suspected local cases. A CDC investigator is assisting in the investigation. In the meantime, Florida is reporting 381 cases of Zika in travelers, including 53 pregnant women whom the state is monitoring. “At this stage it may be a bit premature to issue a travel advisory,” infectious disease expert Nikolaos Vasilakis of the University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston told BuzzFeed News. Vasilakis expressed confidence that air conditioning and screened windows meant any outbreak of Zika in south Florida would remain bottled up there. Vasilakis recommended that people in Florida follow past CDC recommendations for avoiding mosquito bites, using repellants and emptying of water containers where mosquitoes lay eggs, such as flower pots and birdbaths. Zika can also be sexually transmitted, and the CDC has recommended the use of condoms or abstaining during pregnancy. A travel recommendation for pregnant women probably won’t stop the spread of Zika virus in Florida, Harris said. “You can’t tell people in Florida not to travel. It’s not going to happen.” https://www.buzzfeed.com/danvergano/zika-in-florida?utm_term=.vv42ByA4Y#.lfYZrW53X

Fearing Zika, FDA Asks 2 Florida Counties To Halt Blood DonationsFacebookTwitterGoogle+EmailJuly 28, 20164:18 PM ETRAE ELLEN BICHELL Blood donations in the U.S. aren't routinely screened for the Zika virus. Chris O'Meara/APThere's been a looming fear that mosquitoes would start spreading the Zika virus in the U.S. Now that possibility seems increasingly real. On Thursday, senior officials at the Food and Drug Administration said they have asked blood donation centers in two Florida counties, Miami-Dade and Broward, to stop collecting blood for the time being. The move came after investigators ruled out travel as the cause of four cases of Zika virus in those counties. Florida health officials announced the cases last week. The people hadn't traveled to places where Zika is endemic and don't appear to have contracted it through sex, leaving a possibility that they got the virus from being bitten by infected mosquitoes in the U.S. If they did acquire the virus from domestic mosquitoes, it could mean that others in the area also may have acquired Zika virus locally, and may have donated blood without knowing it was infected. In an effort to "help ensure the safety of the nation's blood supply," Dr. Peter Marks, director of the FDA's Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research, said in a statement that blood collections shouldn't resume in the area until the centers can test each incoming blood donation for Zika virus. The agency suggested that neighboring counties do the same, and that at-risk counties across the U.S. screen donors before collecting blood. "These may be the first cases of local Zika virus transmission by mosquitoes in the continental United States," said the statement. The Florida Department of Health has yet to confirm how the people acquired the virus. http://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2016/07/28/487802572/fearing-zika-fda-asks-2-florida-counties-to-halt-blood-donations

FDA temporarily halts blood donation in two Florida counties over Zika fears By Lena H. Sun July 28 at 12:29 PM (Joern Pollex/Getty Images)The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is asking blood centers in two Florida counties to immediately stop collections. The counties are investigating possible local transmission of Zika virus. In a notice sent to blood centers and posted on the agency's website Wednesday evening, the FDA said it is requesting all blood centers in Miami-Dade and Broward counties to "cease collecting blood immediately" until those facilities can test individual units of blood donated in those two counties with a special investigational donor screening test for Zika virus or until the establishments implement the use of an approved or investigational pathogen-inactivation technology. The action by the FDA comes as health officials in Florida said Thursday they were continuing to investigate two Zika cases that could have been spread by local mosquitoes, in addition to two similar cases they announced last week. Health officials have not confirmed whether any of the infected individuals acquired the virus from local mosquitoes, but it seems increasingly likely. "These may be the first cases of local Zika virus transmission by mosquitoes in the continental United States," the FDA said in its notice and in a media statement Thursday. It said it was making the request of blood-collection establishments "in consideration of the possibility of an emerging local outbreak of Zika virus, and as a prudent measure to help assure the safety of blood and blood products." [Florida checking possible local case of Zika] The FDA is also recommending that nearby counties also put these precautions in place as soon as possible to maintain the safety of the blood supply. For blood-collection establishments outside of this region, FDA is recommending that donors who have traveled to Miami-Dade and Broward Counties during the previous four weeks defer on donating blood. The FDA alerted the Florida's surgeon general and the major blood collection industry organization Wednesday night. On Thursday morning, the FDA also reached out to blood collection establishments in Florida, starting with the state’s largest blood collectors, according to Tara Goodin, an FDA spokeswoman. The FDA also said Thursday that it is working closely with companies that are making blood screening tests available to ensure that these companies are ready to expand testing as needed. Blood collection establishments in the rest of the United States may also choose now or in the future to participate in that testing, even if there is no local mosquito-borne transmission of Zika virus in their region. The main organization collecting blood in Florida, OneBlood, said last week that it had been alerted by public health authorities about the suspected non-travel-related Zika case under investigation in South Florida. OneBlood said that if the case was confirmed, it would stop collections in the affected zip code and bring in blood from unaffected areas to supply blood needs in that region. The organization also said it had received approval to use the investigational tool and planned to start testing donated blood for Zika virus starting Monday. The organization did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the FDA's request for blood centers to immediately stop collection in the two counties. Its website says it plans to test a portion of its collected blood for the Zika virus and to allow hospitals to have access to Zika-screened blood products from unaffected areas to use with their patients at high risk of Zika complications, such as pregnant women. Hospitals that want Zika-screened products will request what they need on an on-demand basis. Additional proactive steps OneBlood implemented earlier this year to protect the local blood supply from the Zika virus remain in effect, including enacting additional donor-deferral guidelines, updating the donor history questionnaire to include Zika-specific questions and issuing educational materials to donors. This post has been updated. https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/to-your-health/wp/2016/07/28/fda-temporarily-halts-blood-donation-in-two-florida-counties-over-zika-fears/

JULY 28, 2016 1:47 PM FDA to South Florida blood banks: Stop donations due to possible local Zika cases1 of 3Florida’s health department is investigating four suspected locally transmitted cases of Zika virus Fotolia TNSBY DANIEL CHANG [email protected] LINKEDINGOOGLE+PINTERESTREDDITPRINTORDER REPRINT OF THIS STORY With the nation’s first suspected local outbreak of Zika infection under investigation in South Florida, the Food and Drug Administration on Wednesday requested that all blood banks in Miami-Dade and Broward counties stop collecting immediately until donations can be tested for the virus. Blood banks in the two counties said they would begin screening donations for Zika virus using an FDA approved test beginning on Friday, but it was unclear whether or when collections in South Florida had ceased on Thursday. Interactive feature: Daily Florida Zika virus trackerOneBlood, a nonprofit with six centers in Broward and five in Miami-Dade, issued a written statement that the agency received notice of the FDA’s request only after they had already begun collecting on Thursday. “OneBlood is working as quickly as possible to comply with the FDA’s request,” said the statement from spokesman Pat Michaels, who added that earlier this week the agency suspended collections in “a number of areas in South Florida” where the suspected cases are under investigation. Area hospitals were not expected to Jackson Health System, One Blood, which supplies blood to more than 200 hospitals in most of Florida and parts of Georgia, Alabama and South Carolina, said all of the agency’s sites would begin testing for Zika on Friday. Michaels did not respond to questions about the exact date when OneBlood stopped collecting in areas where the Florida Department of Health has been investigating four suspected casesof locally transmitted Zika infections. The first suspected local case was announced in Miami-Dade on July 19, and the second in Broward on July 21. On Wednesday, the health department announced two more suspected cases in both counties. The health department reported two new travel-related cases on Thursday, both involving pregnant women, raising the statewide total to 383 people who have contracted the virus this year, including 55 expectant mothers. Pregnant women are considered to be at greatest risk from Zika virus because it can cause microcephaly and other birth defects. In Miami-Dade and Broward, which have the most confirmed Zika infections in Florida, state health investigators and medical epidemiologists from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention are interviewing residents in areas where the four infected people live, work and spend their free time. They’re also collecting urine samples from neighbors and trapping mosquitoes in the area to test for Zika virus. http://www.miamiherald.com/news/health-care/article92362347.html Read more here: http://www.miamiherald.com/news/health-care/article92362347.html#storylink=cpy

Florida Counties Asked to Stop Blood Donations Over Zika FearsAbigail Abrams @abbyabrams 3:38 PM ET RHONA WISE—AFP/Getty ImagesMiami-Dade mosquito control worker Carlos Vargas sprays to eradicate the Aedes aegypti mosquito larvae at a home in Miami, June 8, 2016.The FDA wants the counties to test each donation for the virusThe Food and Drug Administration has asked all blood banks in Miami-Dade County and Broward County, Florida to stop collecting bloodimmediately until all individual donations can be tested for the Zika virus.In a statement posted on its website late Wednesday, the FDA said it was taking this precaution because the counties are investigating four cases of the Zika virus that are not related to travel and may be the first instances of transmission by local mosquitoes in the United States. The agency recommended that the two South Florida counties halt donations until they can test each donation for Zika or until they use an approved method to inactivate the virus. The FDA also recommended that “adjacent and nearby counties” implement the precautions. For blood collection centers outside the area, the agency suggested that people who have traveled to Miami-Dade and Broward Counties in the previous four weeks be deferred. Blood banks in the area are scheduled to begin testing for Zika on Aug. 1, the Miami Heraldreported. Experts have said they expected transmission of Zika within the continental U.S. this summer. There have been 1,658 cases of Zika in the U.S. and 4,750 cases in the U.S. territories as of July 27, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Despite Florida’s Zika concerns, the CDC said Thursday they are not adding South Florida to the list of restricted travel areas for pregnant women. Zika is primarily spread by mosquitoes and can cause birth defects if women are pregnant while they have the virus. It has also been linked to other brain and autoimmune problems, including Guillain-Barré syndrome, a disorder that can cause nerve damage. http://time.com/4429314/zika-fda-stop-blood-donations-florida/