niman Posted July 21, 2016 Report Share Posted July 21, 2016 Today the Florida Department of Health announced that it is conducting an epidemiological investigation into a possible non-travel related case of Zika virus in Broward County. The investigation into the possible case in Miami-Dade County is ongoing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
niman Posted July 21, 2016 Author Report Share Posted July 21, 2016 (edited) July 21, 2016http://www.floridahealth.gov/newsroom/2016/07/072116-Zika-Possible-Non-Travel-Case-Broward.html DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH INVESTIGATING POSSIBLE NON-TRAVEL RELATED CASE OF ZIKA IN BROWARD COUNTY Contact: Communications Office [email protected]850-245-4111 TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – Today the Florida Department of Health announced that it is conducting an epidemiological investigation into a possible non-travel related case of Zika virus in Broward County. The investigation into the possible case in Miami-Dade County is ongoing. The department is collaborating with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and will share additional details as they become available. Zika prevention kits and repellant will be available at DOH-Broward and distributed in the area under investigation. The department is also coordinating with local OBGYNs for distribution of the kits. Zika kits are intended for pregnant women. The department continues to work closely with mosquito control to ensure trapping, reduction and prevention activities are conducted in the area of investigation. At the direction of Governor Rick Scott, State Surgeon General Dr. Celeste Philip has requested that CDC provide assistance in our investigation and response efforts by sending a medical epidemiologist to Florida to help our continued investigation into possible non-travel related Zika infection. Residents and visitors are urged to participate in requests for blood and urine samples by the department in the areas of investigation. These results will help the department determine the number of people affected. Residents and visitors are reminded that the best way to protect themselves is to prevent mosquito bites through practicing good drain and cover methods: DRAIN standing water to stop mosquitoes from multiplying Drain water from garbage cans, house gutters, buckets, pool covers, coolers, toys, flower pots or any other containers where sprinkler or rain water has collected. Discard old tires, drums, bottles, cans, pots and pans, broken appliances and other items that aren't being used. Empty and clean birdbaths and pet's water bowls at least once or twice a week. Protect boats and vehicles from rain with tarps that don’t accumulate water. Maintain swimming pools in good condition and appropriately chlorinated. Empty plastic swimming pools when not in use. COVER skin with clothing or repellent CLOTHING - Wear shoes, socks, long pants and long-sleeves. This type of protection may be necessary for people who must work in areas where mosquitoes are present. REPELLENT - Apply mosquito repellent to bare skin and clothing. Always use repellents according to the label. Repellents with DEET, picaridin, oil of lemon eucalyptus, and IR3535 are effective. EPA-approved repellent is safe for pregnant women to use. Use mosquito netting to protect children younger than 2 months old. COVER doors and windows with screens to keep mosquitoes out of your house Repair broken screening on windows, doors, porches and patios. The department continues to issue daily updates each week day at 2 p.m. Updates include a CDC-confirmed Zika case count by county and information to better keep Floridians prepared. 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. Edited July 21, 2016 by niman Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
niman Posted July 21, 2016 Author Report Share Posted July 21, 2016 Map Updatehttps://www.google.com/maps/d/edit?hl=en&hl=en&authuser=0&authuser=0&mid=1FlIB7hHnVgGD9TlbSx5HwAj-PEQ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
niman Posted July 21, 2016 Author Report Share Posted July 21, 2016 Second case of Zika in Florida may have come from local mosquitoesFELIPE DANA/APBy HELEN BRANSWELL @HelenBranswellJULY 21, 2016 TwitterFacebookLinkedInEmailRepublishPrint Health officials in Florida announced Thursday that they’re investigating a second case of Zika infection that may have been locally acquired.The patient is in Broward County, which is adjacent to Miami-Dade County. The first patient, whose case was announced Tuesday and is still under investigation, is a woman living in Miami-Dade county.The Florida Department of Health called the new case “a possible non-travel related case.” The statement did not indicate whether the department believes the two cases may be linked. Florida has asked for help from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which is sending a medical epidemiologist to help with the investigation.When public health officials have warned about potential transmission of Zika in the US, Florida has been at the top of the at-risk list.The state has Aedes aegypti mosquitoes, a species known to transmit Zika. And many of its citizens appear to travel to places where Zika outbreaks are occurring.Florida has reported 334 cases of travel related Zika to date, giving it one of the highest tallies in the country. Of those people, 46 are pregnant women.There have been more than 1,300 Zika cases in the United States. Almost all of the patients were infected while traveling in a Zika-infected area; a few others acquired the virus through sexual transmission.So far, there is no confirmed case of local mosquito transmission of the virus; the Florida patients would be the first.Helen Branswell can be reached at [email protected] Follow Helen on Twitter @HelenBranswell https://www.statnews.com/2016/07/21/florida-zika-local-transmission/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Health officials in Florida announced Thursday that they’re investigating a second case of Zika infection that may have been locally acquired.The patient is in Broward County, which is adjacent to Miami-Dade County. The first patient, whose case was announced Tuesday and is still under investigation, is a woman living in Miami-Dade county.The Florida Department of Health called the new case “a possible non-travel related case.” The statement did not indicate whether the department believes the two cases may be linked. Florida has asked for help from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which is sending a medical epidemiologist to help with the investigation.When public health officials have warned about potential transmission of Zika in the US, Florida has been at the top of the at-risk list.The state has Aedes aegypti mosquitoes, a species known to transmit Zika. And many of its citizens appear to travel to places where Zika outbreaks are occurring.Florida has reported 334 cases of travel related Zika to date, giving it one of the highest tallies in the country. Of those people, 46 are pregnant women.There have been more than 1,300 Zika cases in the United States. Almost all of the patients were infected while traveling in a Zika-infected area; a few others acquired the virus through sexual transmission.So far, there is no confirmed case of local mosquito transmission of the virus; the Florida patients would be the first.Helen Branswell can be reached at [email protected] Follow Helen on Twitter @HelenBranswell https://www.statnews.com/2016/07/21/florida-zika-local-transmission/
niman Posted July 21, 2016 Author Report Share Posted July 21, 2016 JULY 21, 2016 2:31 PMSecond possible local Zika infection reported in South FloridaFlorida announced a second suspected case of local transmission, this one in BrowardMosquitoes tested in Miami-Dade area where first local transmission suspectedSurveillance should include testing of area residents, epidemiologist says FACEBOOK TWITTER EMAIL SHARE Miami-Dade mosquito-control workers scour county in fight against Zika 2:04 FACEBOOK TWITTER EMAIL SHARE 1 of 2Florida officials are investigating the nation’s first possible case of mosquito-borne Zika virus transmission, identified this week in Miami-Dade County, where at least 89 people have contracted the disease this year. No mosquitoes in Miami-Dade have tested positive for the virus. Handout TNSBY DANIEL CHANG[email protected] LINKEDINGOOGLE+PINTERESTREDDITPRINTORDER REPRINT OF THIS STORY A second suspected case of mosquito-borne Zika infection was reported in Broward County on Thursday, two days after the Florida Department of Health announced a similar case in Miami-Dade — making South Florida the potential epicenter for the nation’s first local outbreak of the infectious disease.In response to the second case, Florida Surgeon General Celeste Philip requested that the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention send a medical epidemiologist to help with the investigation. The health department also urged residents in the affected Miami-Dade and Broward neighborhoods to cooperate with requests for blood and urine samples to help determine the number of people infected. FACEBOOK TWITTER EMAIL SHARE How Zika spreads (and who’s to blame)The mosquito kills nearly 750,000 people each year. Malaria is the cause for the majority of these deaths, but a Zika outbreak has the Americas scared of this insect. This is how the insect spreads disease to its victims.Sohail Al-Jamea and Meta Viers McClatchyThe health department has not disclosed the locations in Miami-Dade and Broward under investigation. If confirmed, the cases would be the first documented Zika infections caused by mosquitoes in the continental United States.To date, no mosquitoes captured in Miami-Dade have tested positive for the Zika virus, according to an official familiar with the health department’s investigation. Miami-Dade officials set up mosquito traps this week in the neighborhood where the infected person lives. The state health department reported a suspected local transmission of Zika virus in the area on Tuesday — four days after the case surfaced.The trapped mosquitoes were sent to a lab at Florida Gulf Coast University in Fort Myers to be tested for Zika virus and results came back negative, according to the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity.Florida’s Department of Health declined to verify the test results for mosquitoes trapped in the Miami-Dade area under investigation. Mara Gambineri, a spokesperson for the Florida health department, said the agency is still investigating and had no new information to report.But the Associated Press later reported that Gambineri had sent an emailed statement that “sexual transmission related to travel has not been ruled out” in the Miami-Dade case, and that not all the blood and urine tests from the people around the infected patient have come back yet.The department reported seven new Zika infections Thursday, including three pregnant women in undisclosed counties, three residents in Miami-Dade and one in Palm Beach — raising the statewide total to 334 people who have contracted the infectious disease this year.None of Florida’s confirmed Zika infections, including 92 people in Miami-Dade, have involved bites from local mosquitoes, according to the health department. The state’s official count does not yet include the suspected mosquito-borne transmission in Miami-Dade.State and local officials have been looking for Zika virus in local mosquitoes for months, placing traps near homes of people with infections confirmed by the health department. Those areas are targeted for inspection, surveillance and spraying.But a local epidemiologist said more can be done to prevent an outbreak following a local transmission.Aileen Marty, a physician and professor of infectious diseases with Florida International University’s Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine, said containment efforts may be more effective if a health agency also were to test for the virus among residents of the Miami-Dade neighborhood under investigation.“You have to test people,” Marty said. “Testing the mosquitoes is one thing. Think about how many mosquitoes there are and what percentage gets tested.”Zika can be difficult to diagnose in part because only one in five infected people show symptoms, which include fever, joint pain, rash and red eyes lasting seven to 10 days.Marty said the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention could help lead testing of people who have contracted Zika but are asymptomatic. It is unclear, however, whether any health agency is testing area residents for the virus.The Department of Health did not respond to questions about whether the agency is testing people who live in the Miami-Dade neighborhood under investigation but said that “it is standard” to conduct blood testing in an area of epidemiological investigation.The CDC has published a 58-page plan that outlines how the agency will respond to local transmissions of Zika, including the deployment of a CDC Emergency Response Team (CERT) capable of providing a wide range of help, from epidemiological investigation to public outreach.CDC officials did not immediately respond to questions about whether a CERT team has been deployed to Miami-Dade. The agency said this week that Florida and local officials are leading the investigation, and that the CDC has provided funding, including $2 million for Zika preparedness and another $5.6 million awarded this week.President Obama and Florida Gov. Rick Scott spoke by phone Wednesday about Zika.The CDC updated its weekly count of Zika cases nationwide on Thursday, reporting that 1,404 people in 46 states have contracted the disease. Only Alaska, Idaho, South Dakota and Wyoming have yet to report a Zika infection.Nearly all the cases were acquired by people traveling outside the country to areas where Zika is spread by mosquitoes, according to the CDC, which said 15 cases were sexually transmitted and one was acquired through laboratory exposure.Marty said that in order to prevent a larger outbreak in South Florida, health officials need to also test people who are at greatest risk of local transmission.“It's exactly what they should be doing,” Marty said. “They’ve got the mosquito trapping end of it very well done. Plus, they’re spraying for mosquitoes. But as far as I know, they haven’t started this whole surveillance of people.”ZIKA CASES REPORTED IN FLORIDA AS OF JULY 21CountyNumber of CasesAlachua5Brevard6Broward50Charlotte1Citrus2Clay3Collier4Duval6Escambia1Highlands1Hillsborough7Lake1Lee6Manatee1Martin1Miami-Dade92**Okaloosa1Orange33Osceola15Palm Beach14Pasco5Pinellas7Polk10Santa Rosa1Seminole9St. Johns2St. Lucie1Volusia3Total cases not involving pregnant women288Cases involving pregnant women regardless of symptoms*46* Counties of pregnant women are not disclosed.** Does not include suspected case of mosquito-borne transmissionSource: Florida Department of HealthRead more here: http://www.miamiherald.com/news/health-care/article91047207.html#storylink=cpyhttp://www.miamiherald.com/news/health-care/article91047207.html Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
niman Posted July 22, 2016 Author Report Share Posted July 22, 2016 Florida Investigating Second Possible Case of Locally Acquired ZikaState health officials reported first possible nontravel-related case this week ENLARGEThe Florida Department of Health said that mosquito control workers, like this one in Miami-Dade County, are working to reduce mosquito populations in the areas under investigation. PHOTO: AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE/GETTY IMAGESBy BETSY MCKAYUpdated July 21, 2016 7:45 p.m. ET0 COMMENTSFlorida health officials said late Thursday that they are investigating a second case of Zika in a person whose source of infection is unknown.The second person resides in Broward County, whose county seat is Fort Lauderdale. The Florida Department of Health said that it is conducting an epidemiological investigation into a “possible nontravel related case of Zika virus” in that county, and added that its investigation into a similar case in neighboring Miami-Dade County, which it disclosed late Tuesday, is “ongoing.”It isn’t known if or how the two cases are connected. The case in Miami-Dade County is an adult woman, according to people familiar with the matter. The Florida Department of Health didn’t provide further details on either case beyond its short statements and didn’t respond immediately late Thursday to emailed questions.Florida officials didn’t indicate whether they have ruled out sexual transmission as a source of infection in the Broward County case. But if they have, they would be concerned, as with the case in Miami-Dade County, that the person acquired the virus locally from mosquitoes. Mosquitoes are the main mode of transmission of Zika generally, but mosquito-borne transmission has yet to be reported in the continental U.S.The Florida Department of Health said that at the direction of Gov.Rick Scott, the state surgeon general had asked the CDC to send a medical epidemiologist to assist with the investigations and response. The CDC confirmed that it has sent the requested scientist. The agency also said it has provided Florida “more than $8 million in Zika-specific funding and about $27 million in emergency preparedness funding that can be used toward Zika response efforts.”U.S. health officials have said they expect some transmission of Zika by mosquitoes this summer, particularly in Southern states such as Florida and parts of the Gulf Coast, where the species of mosquito that can carry Zika is most commonly found.But the CDC has said that it expects outbreaks would be limited, because most Americans live in air-conditioned residences that are spaced further apart than the homes in densely packed, poor neighborhoods where mosquitoes that are able to spread Zika thrive in the tropics. The range of the Aedes aegypti mosquito that is the main carrier of Zika is 150 meters or so.The Florida Department of Health said that mosquito control workers are working to reduce mosquito populations in the areas under investigation and that it is working to distribute Zika prevention kits to pregnant women through local obstetrician-gynecologists.The Broward County case is the third unexplained incidence of Zika to be reported this week. Utah health officials are trying to determine how the son of a man who had been infected with Zika got the disease himself. The son didn’t travel to an area where Zika was circulating, nor have sexual contact with an infected person. He did care for his acutely ill father, however.The CDC said that 1,404 cases of Zika had been reported in the continental U.S. and Hawaii as of July 20. None of the infections were due to local mosquito-borne transmission, the agency said. The cases include 15 from sexual transmission and one from a laboratory exposure.Write to Betsy McKay at [email protected]http://www.wsj.com/articles/florida-investigating-second-possible-case-of-locally-acquired-zika-1469143945 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
niman Posted July 22, 2016 Author Report Share Posted July 22, 2016 The Latest: Florida probing 2nd possibly local Zika caseStoryCommentsPrintCreate a hardcopy of this pageFont Size:Default font sizeLarger font size Posted: Thursday, July 21, 2016 5:13 pm | Updated: 5:32 pm, Thu Jul 21, 2016.Associated Press |MIAMI (AP) — The Latest on the Zika virus in Florida (all times local):6:10 p.m. The Florida Health Department says it's now investigating a second possible non-travel related case of Zika infection in South Florida.The case is in Broward County, which neighbors Miami-Dade, where the first such investigation continues.The department says in a news release that it is working with Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and that the state government has asked that the CDC to send an epidemiologist to Florida to help with the investigation.Health authorities are testing mosquitoes and have not yet confirmed that anyone has been infected by a bite in the mainland United States.___5:15 p.m.A Florida Health department spokeswoman now says it's premature to conclude whether or not the Zika infection of a Miami-area woman is related to sex or travel.Spokewoman Mara Gambineri says her emailed statement earlier Thursday was incorrect. She says she was wrong and that she should have written that "''sexual transmission related to travel has not been ruled out."She says not all the blood and urine tests from the people around the infected patient have come back yet, and they can't definitively say that nobody involved traveled outside the United States recently.Mosquitoes tested as part of this investigation have so far tested negative for Zika, as of results that came back Thursday.___This item has been corrected; The health spokeswoman now says her earlier statement was incorrect, and that she should have written that "sexual transmission related to travel has not been ruled out."___4:20 p.m.The largest blood bank in central Florida is going to start screening for the Zika virus.OneBlood said Thursday that it will start screening for the mosquito-borne virus Aug. 1.Dr. Rita Reik, OneBlood's chief medical officer, says in a statement that only a portion of collections will be screened.Hospitals and other facilities that want Zika-screened blood will have to make a request.Reik says that will allow them to have screened-blood for high-risk patients such as pregnant women.OneBlood's announcement comes as health officials are trying to determine whether a Miami-area woman is the first person directly infected by a mosquito on the U.S. mainland.___3:50 p.m.U.S. health officials say the number of babies born in the U.S. with Zika-related defects has risen to 12, up from nine the week before.A report from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says the overall number of infected people in the U.S. also is rising, to more than 1,400 cases reported in the 50 states and the District of Columbia, including 400 pregnant women.None of the cases in this latest report are attributed to mosquito bites inside the continental United States.Fifteen people became infected through sex with people who contracted Zika while traveling abroad. The rest traveled themselves and were likely bitten in countries with Zika outbreaks.The numbers rose dramatically in Puerto Rico, where roughly 3,800 cases have been reported. The CDC says almost all of those cases are attributed to mosquito bites on the island.___1 p.m.Health officials waited Thursday to see if mosquitoes collected near Miami test positive for the Zika virus. That could help determine whether a local woman is the first person infected directly by a mosquito bite on the U.S. mainland.Fogging trucks drove through the patient's neighborhood Thursday morning. Miami-Dade County Mosquito Control Operations Manager Chalmers Vasquez said inspectors are trying to get into every backyard to spray and eliminate breeding sites.Health officials said lab tests confirmed the patient's infection, and there's no apparent connection to travel outside the country.Miami-Dade County has the most confirmed Zika infections in Florida, but all have involved international travel. Vasquez says no mosquitoes collected in the county so far have tested positive for Zika.___3:15 a.m.Florida health officials have trapped mosquitoes in an area of Miami-Dade County and are testing them for Zika to confirm whether a woman with the virus could be the first person infected directly by a mosquito bite in the continental United States.Florida's Department of Health and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention did not immediately respond to questions about their investigation, but health officials said the case had no apparent connection to travel outside the country.The patient is a woman who lives in Miami-Dade County. That's according to a health official familiar with the case who wasn't authorized to reveal details beyond the statements of the agencies involved, and thus spoke on condition of anonymity.http://www.wacotrib.com/news/ap_nation/the-latest-florida-probing-nd-possibly-local-zika-case/article_d7445ffa-f21c-5fde-bae1-599df9cb1df4.html Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
niman Posted July 22, 2016 Author Report Share Posted July 22, 2016 Zika in Florida: 2nd possible non-travel case investigatedBy Debra Goldschmidt, CNN Updated 8:22 PM ET, Thu July 21, 2016 Everything you need to know about Zika 01:42Story highlightsSexual transmission has not yet been ruled outA CDC epidemiologist is traveling to Florida to assist with the investigation (CNN)Health officials are investigating a possible non-travel related case of Zika virus in Broward County, Florida, the Florida Department of Health said Thursday.This individual has not traveled to an area where the virus is circulating. However, sexual transmission of the virus from a person who has traveled has not been ruled out, Florida Department of Health Communications Director Mara Gambineri said. Zika: Florida investigating non-travel related case"Residents and visitors are urged to participate in requests for blood and urine samples by the department in the areas of investigation. These results will help the department determine the number of people affected," the department of health said.The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is assisting state and local health officials with the investigation. A senior epidemiologist from the CDC will arrive in Florida on Friday.The investigation announced Thursday is in addition to the ongoing investigation announced earlier this week of a suspected non-travel related case of Zika in Miami-Dade County. "We continue to investigate and have not ruled out travel or sexual transmission at this time." Gamnineri said Thursday, adding that more specifics on that investigation are expected on Friday. Zika virus: The latest you need to knowTo date, there are 334 cases of Zika virus in the state of Florida, including 46 pregnant women. Seven of those cases were newly reported Thursday in the state's daily Zika update.As of July 20, the CDC reported 1,404 cases of the virus in the continental United States and Hawaii. None of those cases is a result of local mosquito transmission. Fifteen of those individuals were infected by sexual transmission and there is one case of a laboratory-acquired infection. (The CDC updates its numbers weekly on Thursday, so those numbers do not count Thursday's newly reported cases in Florida or other states).Federal, state and local health officials nationwide have been preparing for locally acquired cases of the virus for months. "Officials from Florida participated in all these activities, and their experience in responding to mosquito-borne diseases similar to Zika, including dengue and chikungunya, has been an important source of knowledge in this effort," the CDC said.Join the conversationSee the latest news and share your comments with CNN Health on Facebook andTwitter.U.S. health officials have warned to expect local transmission of the virus from mosquitoes but don't expect widespread transmission, as has been seen in Puerto Rico and throughout the Americas.http://www.cnn.com/2016/07/21/health/broward-county-zika-investigation/index.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=twitter&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+rss%2Fcnn_latest+(RSS%3A+CNN+-+Most+Recent) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
niman Posted July 22, 2016 Author Report Share Posted July 22, 2016 Investigate possible second indigenous case of zika in South Florida by TF / MiamiDiario Today at 08:44 pmThe Department of Health of Florida is investigating a possible case of zika unrelated to travel in Broward County .GalleryInvestigate possible second indigenous case of zika in South FloridaAuthor: File You may want to ... Florida: Key West celebrates 117 years of Hemingway US .: The number of babies with malformations zika Miami Trail Theatre hosted presentation of "Colombia, Wild Magic" Coast Guard intercepted a boat with immigrants in Key Biscayne They evacuated passengers flying American Airlines Palm Beach Airport leakage The department is working with the CDC in this case. The other possible indigenous case of zika reported in Miami-Dade . If confirmed, they will become the first cases of local transmission of the virus in the United States, reported Sun Sentinel . Among the more than 1,400 infections reported across the country so far, almost all have turned out to be people who became infected when traveling to areas where there zika. Fifteen cases were sexually transmitted. The Department of Health of Florida said they are still investigating both cases with the help of theCenters for Disease Control and Disease Prevention . In the case of Miami-Dade, it is known that it is a woman, according Local10 . according to the Miami Herald , in response to the second case, the Department of Health urged residents of the affected neighborhoods in Miami-Dade and Broward counties to cooperate with requests for samples of blood and urine to help determine the number of people infected . the authorities have not revealed the places in Miami-Dade and Broward under investigation. you may also be interested in :- Increase the number of babies with malformations zika - A common mosquito is a transmitter potential zika - Investigated possible first indigenous case zika in Florida in Miami-Dade Countyhttp://www.miamidiario.com/salud/miami-dade/florida/broward/zika-en-florida/zika-en-miami-dade/virus-zika-en-florida/virus-zika-en-miami-dade/362457 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
niman Posted July 22, 2016 Author Report Share Posted July 22, 2016 Miami-Dade, Broward Prep For Possible Local Zika CasesJuly 21, 2016 5:55 PMFiled Under: Babies, Florida, Health, Miami-Dade, Zika 5Follow CBSMIAMI.COM: Facebook | Twitter MIAMI (CBSMiami/AP) — Florida’s Department of Health has not ruled out sexual transmission or travel as the source of a Miami-area woman’s Zika infection.Meantime, they are waiting on results to find out whether mosquitoes collected in South Florida test positive for the Zika virus.That could help determine whether a local woman is the first person infected directly by a mosquito bite on the U.S. mainland.Related: Florida DOH Tests Locals, Mosquitoes For Non-Travel Zika VirusFogging trucks drove through the patient’s neighborhood Thursday morning.Miami-Dade County Mosquito Control Operations Manager Chalmers Vasquez said inspectors are trying to get into every backyard to spray and eliminate breeding sites.Health officials said lab tests confirmed the patient’s infection earlier this week.Related: CDC Says Zika Definitely Causes Severe Birth DefectsMiami-Dade County has the most confirmed Zika infections in Florida, but all have involved international travel.Vasquez says no mosquitoes collected in the county so far have tested positive for Zika.A team from Broward Mosquito Control was spraying to stop the spread of mosquitoes that could possibly be carrying the virus.With marching orders from the Florida Health Department, they were going door-to-door a Fort Lauderdale neighborhood just off downtown warning residents about the risk and checking for standing water.There may be one locally-acquired case in Miami-Dade County, meaning Broward County would be second in line to possibly get a locally acquired case.“It’s not a matter of if. It’s a matter of when we’re going to get a local case. What we’re really preparing for is how we’re going to handle when we have one of these non-travel related case,” said Anh ton with Broward Mosquito Control.But there’s a lot of confusion.The state health department went public with the Miami-Dade information Tuesday – four days after it surfaced and told everyone the Zika prevention kits and repellant would be available for pickup at the Miami-Dade Department of Health. No such kits are available.This means checking everything from your rain gutter to potted plants is important.Health experts say we can all do our part in preventing the spread starting in our own homes. Click here for tips on how to prevent the spread of Zika or click here for more information on the Zika virus.http://miami.cbslocal.com/2016/07/21/officials-await-miami-area-mosquito-test-results/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=headoflettucemedia&utm_campaign=RSS Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Follow CBSMIAMI.COM: Facebook | Twitter MIAMI (CBSMiami/AP) — Florida’s Department of Health has not ruled out sexual transmission or travel as the source of a Miami-area woman’s Zika infection.Meantime, they are waiting on results to find out whether mosquitoes collected in South Florida test positive for the Zika virus.That could help determine whether a local woman is the first person infected directly by a mosquito bite on the U.S. mainland.Related: Florida DOH Tests Locals, Mosquitoes For Non-Travel Zika VirusFogging trucks drove through the patient’s neighborhood Thursday morning.Miami-Dade County Mosquito Control Operations Manager Chalmers Vasquez said inspectors are trying to get into every backyard to spray and eliminate breeding sites.Health officials said lab tests confirmed the patient’s infection earlier this week.Related: CDC Says Zika Definitely Causes Severe Birth DefectsMiami-Dade County has the most confirmed Zika infections in Florida, but all have involved international travel.Vasquez says no mosquitoes collected in the county so far have tested positive for Zika.A team from Broward Mosquito Control was spraying to stop the spread of mosquitoes that could possibly be carrying the virus.With marching orders from the Florida Health Department, they were going door-to-door a Fort Lauderdale neighborhood just off downtown warning residents about the risk and checking for standing water.There may be one locally-acquired case in Miami-Dade County, meaning Broward County would be second in line to possibly get a locally acquired case.“It’s not a matter of if. It’s a matter of when we’re going to get a local case. What we’re really preparing for is how we’re going to handle when we have one of these non-travel related case,” said Anh ton with Broward Mosquito Control.But there’s a lot of confusion.The state health department went public with the Miami-Dade information Tuesday – four days after it surfaced and told everyone the Zika prevention kits and repellant would be available for pickup at the Miami-Dade Department of Health. No such kits are available.This means checking everything from your rain gutter to potted plants is important.Health experts say we can all do our part in preventing the spread starting in our own homes. Click here for tips on how to prevent the spread of Zika or click here for more information on the Zika virus.http://miami.cbslocal.com/2016/07/21/officials-await-miami-area-mosquito-test-results/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=headoflettucemedia&utm_campaign=RSS
niman Posted July 22, 2016 Author Report Share Posted July 22, 2016 HEALTH ZIKA VIRUS OUTBREAK JUL 21 2016, 7:38 PM ETFlorida May Have a Second Non-Travel-Related Case of Zikaby MAGGIE FOXSHARE Florida health officials said Thursday they were investigating a second possible case of Zika spread locally, and Brazilian scientists said they feared they may have found a second species of mosquito can transmit the virus.The two Florida cases — one in Miami-Dade county and another in Broward county — both appear to have no connections to travel to Zika-affected areas, and neither appears to have had sexual contact with a Zika-infected patient, but Florida officials are still checking both possibilities. In this photo, Christy Roberts, with the Harris County Public Health & Environmental Services, examines mosquitos collected in a trap in Houston at the Harris County Mosquito Control lab, June 2. Zika has been sweeping through Latin America and the Caribbean in recent months, and the fear is that it will get worse there and arrive in the U.S. with the onset of mosquito season this summer. John Mone / APThey're also looking for mosquitoes infected with Zika near both homes, and testing people in both areas to see if anyone else may have been infected with Zika and not known it.Related: How Worried Should You be About Zika?"Residents and visitors are urged to participate in requests for blood and urine samples by the department in the areas of investigation. These results will help the department determine the number of people affected," the Florida Department of Health said in a statement.The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says it has official reports of 1,404 cases of Zika in the continental United States — all travel related.But the CDC says it's very likely that some travelers will be bitten by mosquitoes while still actively infected and that this could cause local Zika outbreaks.That's what Florida officials are checking for now.But it takes two factors for a local outbreak: An infected patient, and an Aedes mosquito that bites the person and then lives long enough for the virus to build up in its body before it bites someone else.Related: Zika Could Infect Thousands of Pregnant Women in Puerto RicoFinding infected mosquitoes isn't necessarily easy, said Dr. Peter Hotez, dean of tropical medicine at the Baylor College of Medicine in Houston."It's a needle in a haystack," Hotez said. Mosquitoes don't transmit the virus to one another, so to find Zika-affected mosquitoes, workers must catch a mosquito that actually bit someone who was infected."Just because they don't find Zike in an Aedes mosquito doesn't mean there is no transmission," he said.Florida is one of 26 U.S. states where Aedes aegypti mosquitoes have been found."Now if they get lucky and find it, that's entirely confirmatory," Hotez added.At the same time, officials are making sure that there's no other possible way the two Florida patients could have been infected."We continue to investigate and have not ruled out travel or sexual transmission at this time," a department spokesperson told NBC News.Separately, Brazilian researchers said they'd found that a much more common mosquito, a species called Culex quinquefasciatus, has been infected with Zika. The same team of researchers, at Brazil's Oswaldo Cruz Foundation, reported in March that they had infected Culex mosquitoes with Zika in the lab.Related: Here's How You Find ZikaNow they say they found the virus in live mosquitoes.If Culex can spread Zika, that would be more troubling. Culex mosquitoes are far more common in temperate zones, such as in the United States.But just this week another team, led by Scott Weaver at the University of Texas Medical Branch, said they had tried and been unable to infect Culex mosquitoes with Zika."Without access to the methods and data (it is not published in a peer-reviewed journal yet) there is not much that I can say about this Brazilian study," Weaver told NBC News by email."An effective vector requires not only susceptibility to infection and ability to transmit (virus replication in salivary glands) but a high rate of biting humans in the case of Zika virus."Hotez also says he doubts Culex mosquitoes play a big role in spreading Zika."If they found Zika in the Culex mosquitoes, it could be they had taken a blood meal from someone with Zika and then you would find the virus. It doesn't mean they transmit the virus," Hotez said.And everywhere so far that Zika has spread have been areas where Aedes aegypti mosquitoes abound.Different mosquito species spread different diseases. Culex mosquitoes can spread West Nile virus, but so far are not known to spread Zika. Aedes aegypti mosquitoes spread yellow fever, dengue, chikungunya and Zika viruses, which are all closely related and biologically adapted to these mosquitoes.And malaria, caused by a parasite called Plasmodium, is spread by entirely different species of mosquito, mostly Anopheles.The big danger from Zika is to pregnant women. It causes severe birth defects in babies if the mother is infected while pregnant.The CDC says it knows of 400 pregnancies affected by Zika in the continental U.S. and another 378 in territories such as Puerto Rico. Of these, 12 babies have been born with birth defects caused by Zika and another six have died, miscarried or been aborted because of severe defects. http://www.nbcnews.com/storyline/zika-virus-outbreak/florida-may-have-second-non-travel-related-case-zika-n614481 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
niman Posted July 22, 2016 Author Report Share Posted July 22, 2016 July 22, 2016DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH DAILY ZIKA UPDATE: 19 NEW TRAVEL-RELATED CASES http://www.floridahealth.gov/newsroom/2016/07/072216-zika-update.htmlContact:Communications Office[email protected](850) 245-4111Tallahassee, Fla.—In an effort to keep Florida residents and visitors safe and aware about the status of the Zika virus, the Florida Department of Health will 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 19 new travel-related cases of Zika with three in Orange, two in Hillsborough, two in Osceola, two in Seminole, two in Volusia, one in Broward, one in Miami-Dade, one in Okeechobee, one in Palm Beach, one in Pasco, one in Polk, one in St. Johns and one involving a pregnant women. The Declaration of Public Health Emergency has been amended to include Okeechobee County. According to CDC, symptoms associated with the Zika virus last between seven to 10 days.The department’s investigations into the possible non-travel related Zika virus cases in Miami-Dade and Broward counties are ongoing and the department will share more details as they become available. To date, approximately 200 people have been interviewed and tested as part of the department’s investigations and we await additional lab results.Dr. Marc Fischer, medical epidemiologist with CDC arrived in Florida today to assist in our investigation with mapping and testing methodology. The department is conducting door-to-door outreach with mosquito control in the areas surrounding the residences, work places and frequently visited locations of both suspect cases.Residents and visitors are urged to participate in requests for blood and urine samples by the department in the areas of investigation. These results will help the department determine the number of people affected.Zika prevention kits and repellent are being distributed in the areas of investigation, through local OBGYN offices and at both DOH-Broward and DOH-Miami-Dade.CDC recommends that women who are pregnant or thinking of becoming pregnant postpone travel to Zika affected areas. 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 47, with 15 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.CountyNumber of Cases (all travel related)Alachua5Brevard6Broward51Charlotte1Citrus2Clay3Collier4Duval6Escambia1Highlands1Hillsborough9Lake1Lee6Manatee1Martin1Miami-Dade93Okaloosa1Okeechobee1Orange36Osceola17Palm Beach15Pasco6Pinellas7Polk11Santa Rosa1Seminole11St. Johns3St. Lucie1Volusia5Total cases not involving pregnant women306Cases involving pregnant women regardless of symptoms*47*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 2,347 callers since it launched. The number for the Zika Virus Information Hotline is 1-855-622-6735.All cases are travel-associated. There have been no locally-acquired cases of Zika in Florida. For more information on the Zika virus, click here.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 skin with repellent and clothing; 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 OBGYNs, 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 4,841 people for active Zika virus and 2,189 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 HealthThe 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. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
niman Posted July 23, 2016 Author Report Share Posted July 23, 2016 Second Case of Zika in Florida May Have Come from Local MosquitoesBoth investigations are underway with no official time line for answersBy Helen Branswell, STAT on July 22, 2016 Credit: William Volcov/Brazil Photo Press/LatinContent/Getty ImagesHealth officials in Florida announced Thursday that they’re investigating a second case of Zika infection that may have been locally acquired.The patient is in Broward County, which is adjacent to Miami-Dade County. The first patient, whose case was announced Tuesday and is still under investigation, is a woman living in Miami-Dade.The Florida Department of Health called the new case “a possible non-travel related case.” The statement did not indicate whether the department believes the two cases may be linked, nor did it give any indication about how far away the two people live from one another.Florida has asked for help from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which is sending a medical epidemiologist to assist with the investigation.“CDC has been working with state, local, and territorial health officials to prepare for the possibility of locally acquired Zika infection in the United States,” the CDC said Thursday in a statement.“Officials from Florida participated in all these activities, and their experience in responding to mosquito-borne diseases similar to Zika, including dengue and chikungunya, has been an important source of knowledge in this effort.”When public health officials have warned about potential transmission of Zika in the US, Florida has been at the top of the at-risk list. The state has Aedes aegypti mosquitoes, a species known to transmit Zika.And, as the CDC noted, Florida has experience with other viral diseases spread by these mosquitoes.In 2014, the state had the first US outbreak of chikungunya, which took place in the same part of the state — southeastern Florida. There were about a dozen cases in that outbreak recorded in Miami-Dade, Broward, Palm Beach, and Saint Lucie counties.Infectious diseases expert Michael Osterholm said given the nature of Aedes aegypti, he suspects these two Zika cases, if locally acquired, may not be linked.Aedes aegypti bite near where they breed, traveling very short distances over their lifetimes. “From where it’s hatched to where it lives is often just hundreds of yards,” said Osterholm, director of the University of Minnesota’s Center for Infectious Diseases Research and Policy.“So unless these two people lived in the exact same neighborhood … it really just is an issue of the beginning of the Zika mosquito season in Florida,” Osterholm said.He suggested people could do a lot to reduce their risk of infection by cleaning up their properties and neighborhoods, ensuring there are no places for the mosquitoes to breed.“I think these early cases don’t give us a clue yet to the total number of cases that might be found,” he said. “But we shouldn’t be surprised if we have a number of cases. Clearly not hundreds, but we could have 20, 30, 40 cases” between now and September.Experience with the other diseases spread by Aedes mosquitoes suggests aspects of the American lifestyle — air-conditioning in many homes and cars, the use of screens to cover doors and windows — could protect against the really large Zika outbreaks being seen in many parts of Latin America.If confirmed, the Florida cases will be the first known instances where Zika infection was acquired in the US from mosquitoes. There have been 15 recorded cases of sexual transmission of the virus in the US and one laboratory worker was infected in a lab accident.New figures posted by the CDC on Thursday show that as of July 20, 1,403 travel-related cases of Zika infection have been detected in the US. Of those, 400 have been pregnant women. Twelve infants with Zika-related birth defects have been born in the US so far, the agency reported. Another six affected pregnancies were lost, either to stillbirth, miscarriage, or termination.Florida has reported 334 travel-related Zika cases, 46 of them pregnant women.So far, there is no confirmed case of local mosquito transmission of the virus; the Florida patients would be the first.Republished with permission from STAT. This article originally appeared on July 21, 2016.http://www.scientificamerican.com/article/second-case-of-zika-in-florida-may-have-come-from-local-mosquitoes/?WT.mc_id=SA_TW_HLTH_NEWS Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
niman Posted July 23, 2016 Author Report Share Posted July 23, 2016 NYC reports microcephaly; Florida probes possible 2nd local Zika caseFiled Under: ZikaLisa Schnirring | News Editor | CIDRAP News | Jul 22, 2016Share Tweet LinkedIn Email Print & PDFnyc_sign_post.jpgjoanne1234 / iStockNew York City health officials today reported the first baby born with Zika-related microcephaly in a local hospital, a day after Florida said it was investigating a second suspected local Zika case, this one in Broward County.Elsewhere, Puerto Rico's governor today turned down a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) proposal for aerial spraying for mosquitoes.The rapidly evolving developments come a day after federal officials announced $60 million more to help states battle Zika virus and as the nation and its territories are well into their summer mosquito seasons.Baby's mother got sick in an affected areaIn a statement, New York City's health department (NYC Health) said the baby's mother was infected while in an area of ongoing Zika transmission. The baby has been diagnosed as having microcephaly and other brain problems, and tests were positive for Zika virus infection, NYC Health said in a press release.NYC Health Commissioner Mary Bassett, MD, MPH, said in the statement, While not surprising, given the travel trends of our global city, this case is a strong reminder of the tragic consequences of the Zika virus. We are monitoring the baby's health closely and connecting the family with the necessary services to take care of their child."At a media briefing streamed live online today, Bassett said she learned of the case yesterday and that the baby was born this month. To protect the family's privacy health officials offered no other details, but said they were working with the CDC on the case.Jay Varma, MD, the health department's deputy commissioner for disease control, said 41 pregnant women who were infected with Zika virus have been reported in the city, the number is growing, and the cases are being evaluated on a regular basis.NYC Health said the mayor had invested $21 million in Zika preparedness, which included expanding testing capacity and dedicating a call center for health providers to process lab results. As of Jul 15 NYC Health has tested about 2,000 pregnant women.Because of travel patterns and large populations of immigrants from areas where the virus is circulating, and according to the CDC's latest totals, New York leads the nation in travel-related Zika cases. So far the city has reported 346 cases, including 4 sexually transmitted infections. More than half of infected people reported travel to the Dominican Republic.Yesterday in an update the CDC said 18 poor birth outcomes have been reported in pregnant women infected with Zika virus, including 12 live births and 6 pregnancy losses.Florida probes second caseIn other Zika developments, the Florida Department of Health yesterday said it was investigating another suspected case involving local transmission, its second such announcement this week. In a statement, it said the possible nontravel-related case is in Broward County, which neighbors Miami-Dade County, the location of the first suspected local case.In a news release yesterday, Florida Health said Gov Rick Scott asked the state's surgeon general to request help from a CDC medical epidemiologist with investigations into both cases. That help arrived today in the form of Marc Fischer, MD, MPH, a CDC medical epidemiologist, Florida Health said in its daily Zika update.In the press release, Florida Health said Zika kits and repellent are being distributed to pregnant women in the affected area of Broward County, including through doctors' offices. Health officials are asking residents and visitors to cooperate with requests for blood and urine for testing in the investigation areas.In its update today, Florida Health said so far about 200 people have been interviewed and tested as part of the two investigations, that it is waiting for more lab results, and that it would share more details when available. It noted that door-to-door outreach with mosquito control is under way in the homes, workplaces, and other locations the two suspected case-patients frequented.Since yesterday, the state has received reports of 19 more travel-related Zika cases, 1 involving a pregnant woman. It now has 353 such illnesses, 47 of them in pregnant women.News of the first suspected local case prompted OneBlood, which provides blood services throughout Florida and to parts of Georgia and South Carolina, to announce yesterday that it will start testing donated blood for Zika virus on Aug 1 using a new test that was granted emergency use authorization.The first step is to screen a portion of collections in unaffected areas, making those blood products available to hospitals with high-risk patients, such as pregnant women, the company said in a statement.If the case is confirmed as local, OneBlood would stop collections in the affected zip code and supply that area with blood from an unaffected area.Spraying nixed; other developmentsPuerto Rico's governor today rejected a CDC suggestion to begin aerial spraying for mosquitoes with naled, and said he will support spraying with Bti, (Bacillus thuringiensis israelensis) an organic larvicide, the Associated Press (AP) reported today. The CDC has suggested aerial spraying as part of an integrated mosquito control program for the territory, which has been experiencing a surge of Zika activity. According to the AP, Puerto Ricans have organized protests about naled's possible impact on humans and wildlife. Puerto Rico's government was angered when the CDC sent the territory an unannounced shipment of naled, for which the CDC apologized today, saying it moved too quickly in the event that Puerto Rican officials would want to use the pesticide. A multidisciplinary mission will visit Guinea-Bissau next week to help investigate its recent local Zika cases, the World Health Organization (WHO) said in its weekly update yesterday. Four positive samples were sent to the Pasteur Institute in Dakar on July 1 for gene sequencing to determine if the outbreak strain is the one fueling the outbreak in the Americas or the one that has circulated for many decades in Africa. Results are still pending, the WHO said. Colombia's number of Zika-related microcephaly cases and related birth defects continues to grow, with 21 now reported, the WHO also noted in its weekly update. The number increased by 3 from last week. Brazil also reported 22 more confirmed cases, boosting its total to 1,709. The Caribbean island of Saba, a territory of the Netherlands, reported its first local Zika virus transmission, the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control said today in its latestweekly communicable disease threats report. St Eustatius, Saba's neighbor to the southeast, also recently reported its first local case.See also:Jul 22 NYC Health press releaseNYC Health Zika background and totalsJul 21 Florida Health press releaseJul 22 Florida Health Zika updateJul 21 OneBlood press releaseJul 12 CIDRAP News story "Experts warn spraying may not be very effective against Aedes"http://www.cidrap.umn.edu/news-perspective/2016/07/nyc-reports-microcephaly-florida-probes-possible-2nd-local-zika-case Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
niman Posted July 24, 2016 Author Report Share Posted July 24, 2016 Health Officials Investigate Two Possible Cases Of Zika Virus Outbreak In FloridaJuly 24, 20167:48 AM ETHeard on Weekend Edition Sunday Federal officials investigate the first two cases of Zika that may have been contracted in southern Florida. NPR's Elise Hu and Michaeleen Doucleff discuss the new findings and their possible impact.Audio at:http://www.npr.org/2016/07/24/487237222/health-officials-investigate-two-possible-cases-of-zika-virus-outbreak-in-florid?utm_source=twitter.com&utm_campaign=health&utm_medium=social&utm_term=nprnews Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
niman Posted July 27, 2016 Author Report Share Posted July 27, 2016 JULY 26, 2016 6:05 PMTravel ruled out in Florida’s two suspected cases of local Zika infectionSouth Florida cases may be nation’s first spread by local mosquitoesState health officials are investigation one case in Miami-Dade, one in BrowardGov. Rick Scott said he’s disappointed Congress has not approved Zika funding How Zika spreads (and who’s to blame) 1:13 FACEBOOK TWITTER EMAIL SHARE FACEBOOK TWITTER EMAIL SHARE 1 of 3The mosquito kills nearly 750,000 people each year. Malaria is the cause for the majority of these deaths, but a Zika outbreak has the Americas scared of this insect. This is how the insect spreads disease to its victims. Sohail Al-Jamea and Meta Viers McClatchyBY DANIEL CHANG[email protected] LINKEDINGOOGLE+PINTERESTREDDITPRINTORDER REPRINT OF THIS STORY Florida epidemiologists have ruled out travel as a possible source for two Zika infections — one in Miami-Dade and one in Broward — suspected of being the nation’s first cases transmitted by local mosquitoes, State Surgeon General Celeste Philip said Tuesday during a meeting with Gov. Rick Scott and health officials.“The individuals do not have travel history themselves,” Philip said at the Broward health department in Fort Lauderdale. “That’s the only mode that we feel pretty certain has been ruled out.” Interactive feature: Daily Florida Zika virus trackerAs state health officials reported six new Zika infections on Tuesday, raising the statewide total to 364 people affected this year, Philip asked for patience while Florida epidemiologists undertake the labor-intensive investigation.She said investigators must identify where the infected individuals live, work and spend their free time — and then track down others who may have come into contact with them. Investigators also are going door-to-door in the Miami-Dade and Broward neighborhoods of the two infected people, interviewing residents and collecting urine samples for testing.“We understand that there is an interest in knowing as much as possible as soon as possible,” Philip said. “But we have to get it right.”She also stressed that researchers are still learning about the ways Zika is transmitted, including a recent report of the first female-to-male sexual transmission and a mysterious case in Utah where an elderly man with an unusually high viral load is suspected of spreading the virus to a caregiver.Philip said the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has dispatched a medical epidemiologist, Marc Fischer, to South Florida to help design studies and collect specimens in the testing areas, whose locations have not been disclosed by the health department.Health department officials also have contacted obstetricians in the areas under investigation and encouraged them to test their pregnant patients for the virus, Philip said. Area blood banks will begin testing blood donations for the Zika virus in a few days, she said.As the number of infections in Florida climbs almost daily, and the state has already reported its first baby born with a Zika-related birth defect, Scott expressed his “disappointment” with Congress for not yet approving emergency funding for states to combat spread of the disease.“We are sort of the tip of the spear for the United States for Zika,” Scott said. “We all have to take this seriously.”Last week, President Barack Obama spoke by phone with Scottabout the first suspected case of local transmission in Miami-Dade. The CDC awarded the state $5.6 million the same week. In June, Scott authorized spending up to $26.2 million in state funds to fight the Zika virus.For questions about Zika, including health impacts, call the Florida health department hotline at 855-622-6735.Daniel Chang: 305-376-2012, @dchangmiamiZIKA INFECTIONS REPORTED IN FLORIDA AS OF JULY 26CountyNumber of CasesAlachua5Brevard6Broward **53Charlotte1Citrus2Clay3Collier4Duval6Escambia1Highlands1Hillsborough10Lake1Lee6Manatee1Martin1Miami-Dade **96Okaloosa2Okeechobee1Orange38Osceola17Palm Beach15Pasco6Pinellas7Polk11Santa Rosa1Seminole11St. Johns3St. Lucie1Volusia5Total cases not involving pregnant women315Cases involving pregnant women regardless of symptoms*49* Counties of pregnant women not disclosed.** Does not include suspected cases of local transmission.Source: Florida Department of Healthhttp://www.miamiherald.com/news/health-care/article91990047.html Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Please sign in to comment
You will be able to leave a comment after signing in
Sign In Now