Zika Clustered Workplaces In Wynwood Florida

[niman]

Florida DoH issued a press release indicating all four of the local Zika cases (1 female and 3 males) had been infected by mosquitoes within a 1 square mile location in the Wynood area in Miami-Dade County.  At least three of the cases resided outside of the area (index case lived in the Coral Gables area while the second case liver in Fort Lauderdale and the third case lived in Broward County.

However, at least three of the four worked in the Wynwood area in at least two different work sites.

The fact that the first reported cases of Zika mosquito transmission is not surprising.  It is likely that at least two of the cases were symptomatic (since testing of asymptomatic local residents was not recommended) and it is likely that all four were symptomatic.  Although transmission was in early July, confirmation would take several weeks because cases would have to develop symptoms, then have a doctor's visit, followed by sample collection, shipment, and lab confirmation.

Since most Zika cases are asymptomatic, it is likely that asymptomatic cases were present in the area, and publication of the location will likely lead to more doctor's visit by symptomatic as well as asymptomatic pregnant cases who live,work, or visited the area.

 

 

Edited September 26, 2016 by niman

[niman]

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.

http://www.floridahealth.gov/newsroom/2016/07/072916-local-zika.html

 

[niman]

[niman]

Zika map with 3 cases who reside outside of Wynwood

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

 

[niman]

Breaking: Miami’s Wynwood Arts District Is a Hotbed for Zika

Florida Gov. Rick Scott confirms first four cases of Zika to be contracted within the U.S.

By Michael Sainato • 07/29/16 12:20pm

 

A building near Wynwood Walls during Art Week Miami 2015 on December 2, 2015 in Miami, Florida. (Photo: Ger Ger/Getty Images)

For months, both Democratic and Republican politicians have warned about the dangers posed by Zika in pleas for Congress to appropriate funding to fight the virus and support research. The World Health Organization called an international public health emergency earlier this year over Zika outbreaks in Central America, South America and the Caribbean. The virus has been directly linked to cases of microcephaly, a neurological disorder which develops in the unborn fetuses of pregnant women, causing birth defects to children of mothers infected with the virus. President Barack Obama called for $1.8 billion in emergency funding to combat the virus, but despite bipartisan support, the dysfunctional U.S. Congress has yet to agree on a funding proposal.

Americans have already begun to suffer from the political stagnation in funding efforts to fight Zika, as Florida Gov. Rick Scott confirmed today four cases in Florida contracted the virus from mosquitoes within the continental United States.

“We learned today that four people in our state likely have the Zika virus as a result of a mosquito bite,” Scott said in a press release. “All four of these people live in Miami-Dade and Broward Counties, and the Florida Department of Health believes that active transmissions of this virus could be occurring in one small area in Miami.”

A map outlining where Zika has been contracted in Miami. (Image: FLgov.com)

According to the Center for Disease Control, 1,658 cases of Zika have been reported in the United States, but—until now—all of those cases were contracted abroad.

Nearly 80 percent of those who contract the virus exhibit no symptoms, but those who do typically suffer a few days of fever, rashes, headaches, fatigue and muscle and joint pain. Relatively little is known about Zika, and there is currently no widely available test for the virus, aside from sending blood or tissue samples to a lab within the first week of infection.

The type of mosquito best known for spreading the virus, the Aedes genus, is most common in the United States in Florida and along the gulf coast but has been documented as far north as Connecticut in hot weather, according to The New York Times. The virus has also been reported to transmit sexually, and although no reported cases have been contracted through blood transfusions in the United States, health officials are taking precautions to ensure the virus isn’t spread through blood donations.

In addition to links with microcephaly in pregnant women, Zika has also been linked to Guillain-Barre syndrome. A study published in Lancet this February directly linked Zika with the rare neurological syndrome that can cause permanent paralysis and, in some cases, death. The study’s authors warned countries where Zika is spreading to prepare intensive care facilities to manage cases of Guillain-Barre syndrome, which are likely to increase as the outbreak spreads.

The transmitted cases in Florida are believed to be confined to a small area north of Downtown Miami, in the popular neighborhood of Wynwood, just south of Miami’s Design District. According to an Observer editor who lives in the affected area, theZika hotline provided by the Florida Department of Health isn’t currently in service. The editor, a woman in her early 30s, called three times: The first two times she received a busy signal, and the third time she called the line rang for two minutes before disconnecting.

Local, state and federal health officials are continuing to determine how many people may be infected.

http://observer.com/2016/07/breaking-miamis-wynwood-arts-district-is-a-hotbed-for-zika/

[niman]

Critical Mass: Zika Edition Crosses the Causeways Into Miami Beach Tonight

FRIDAY, JULY 29, 2016 AT 12:17 P.M.

BY JERRY IANNELLI

 

Hundreds of cyclists will roll through the heart of Miami tonight. Photo by George Martinez

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It's the last Friday of the month, which means traffic across town will come to a screeching halt as hundreds of cyclists commandeer the streets. It's Critical Mass, the one night every month when Miamians who hate cyclists are forced to shut up.

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At 7:15 p.m., the ride will hit most of Miami's classic tourist destinations. After starting at Government Center in downtown, it will head northwest through the newly Zika-infested clouds of mosquitoes in Wynwood, hang a right onto NW 54th Street, shank left onto Biscayne Boulevard, and then cross into Miami Beach via the 79th Street Causeway. 

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From there, the ride will hang a right and snake all the way down Miami Beach along Indian Creek Drive and then cut across Dade Boulevard until it hits the Venetian Causeway. Once the ride reaches the mainland, it will loop back to Government Center, where everyone will presumably bike right back to Wynwood for beer. 

Given the fact that you can now catch Zika from Wynwood mosquitoes, you should wear a helmet and bug spray for the duration of the ride.

http://www.miaminewtimes.com/news/critical-mass-zika-edition-crosses-the-causeways-into-miami-beach-tonight-8639893

 

[niman]

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Zika Carrying Mosquitos Threaten Wynwood With Gentrification

 Milo  Jul 29, 2016  0 Comments

Dexter Oliveira, an 18-hour-old Zika carrying mosquito, is seated outside of Panther Coffee's Wynwood location. "My friends call me "Buzz", he says as he takes a sip of his chai tea latte, "but it's like an ironic nickname, you know?"

Buzz is new to Wynwood, having arrived this morning after receiving word from his Brazilian cousin Rodrigo about the culture and entertainment Miami's art district has to offer, as well as the ready availability of feasting spots on the exposed backs, thighs, and navels of the district's native hipster residents.

"I think Wynwood represents a wonderful opportunity for mosquitos like Buzz and me," said Rodrigo, the son of a wealthy Brazilian industrialist mosquito who was raised in a palatial larval housing outside of São Paulo. "We look forward to helping Wynwood grow," Rodrigo said before detailing his first local business venture: a luxury blood juice bar. "We will offer the community a completely organic, non-GMO assortment of different blood types," said Rodrigo, adding "$11 a cup, $20 a pint."

But not everyone is happy with the arrival of Buzz, Rodrigo, and their fedora-wearing compatriots. Local resident Cassandra Davidson, who moved to Wynwood 8-months ago after graduating with a degree in marketing from Vassar, says the recent wave of mosquito immigration threatens to change the historic character of her neighborhood.

"I'm not racist, but these mosquitos come here and bring disease and have absolutely no respect for the culture or community we built," said Ms. Davidson, "They aren't even learning to code."

Ms. Davidson and other Wynwood residents also worry that the influx of wealthy mosquitos will raise housing prices and force her and her neighbors to leave their community. Several developers have already begun planning major developments that they hope will attract more Zika carrying mosquitos to Wynwood, including a 33-story luxury condominium and retail space which will house several billion mosquitos.

"It isn't fair. This is our home," said Ms. Davidson as she unconsciously clutched her purse as 33-year-old African American Darnell McClintock, who had lived in Wynwood his entire life but was forced out after his landlord tripled his rent three-years ago, walked passed her table. "It just isn't fair."

http://theplantain.com/zika-carrying-mosquitos-flock-to-wynwood/

 

[niman]

Wynwood businesses bracing for Zika virus

Restaurants such as Wynwood Kitchen and Bar remain cautious after Florida Gov. Rick Scott announced Friday that four Zika virus cases “very likely” spread out from the trendy Miami neighborhood.

 (Robert Duyos / Sun-Sentinel)

Phillip Valys and Diane C. LadeContact Reporters

Wynwood businesses bracing for Zika virus.

 

The Zika virus is keeping businesses in Wynwood on high alert, after Florida Gov. Rick Scott announced Friday that four cases of Zika infection "very likely" spread out from the trendy Miami neighborhood.

"Wynwood's restaurants, galleries, retailers and art-filled streets remain open for business," says Jessica Goldman Srebnick, CEO of Goldman Properties, the developer behind Wynwood landmarks such as Wynwood Walls and the zebra-striped Wynwood Building.

Srebnick, whose company also owns nearby Wynwood Kitchen and Bar, says she is "concerned" over Friday's news that four Zika cases were likely transmitted by local mosquitoes, after a two-week probe by state and federal health officials. Her businesses will follow whatever recommendations are given by the Florida Department of Health, but for now, Aug. 13's outdoor Wynwood Art Walk will go forward as planned.

"The community of Wynwood will do whatever is necessary to be vigilant," Srebnick says.

 

South Florida is the first place in the continental United States to have homegrown Zika, something researchers have been predicting for months eventually would happen, given Florida's climate and large mosquito population.

4 Zika cases in Broward, Miami-Dade likely came from Florida mosquitoes, Gov. Scott says

On Friday, Gov. Scott listed the exact location of Zika transmission as occurring between Northwest/Northeast 38th Street to the north and Northwest/Northeast 20th Street to the south and between U.S. 1 to the east and Northwest Fifth Avenue to the west.

Previously, all of almost 400 cases confirmed in Florida involved travelers who were infected while visiting Zika hot spots, primarily countries in the Caribbean and South and Central America.

What's next? While officials at the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Friday they weren't issuing travel restrictions for Florida at this time, they did advise everyone to avoid mosquito bites by wearing repellent and emptying containers of standing water where mosquitoes breed. Pregnant women especially are at risk, as Zika infections can cause severe birth defects in newborns.

OneBlood to begin screening all donations for Zika

Wary that mosquitoes are attracted to standing water, Wynwood Brewing Company is taking extra procautions in its beer-brewing process. Enrique Zittorino, the marketing manager, says he's ensuring the brewery's taproom and brewing facility are free of water puddles and open containers.

"We're very aware of the whole Zika thing" Zittorino says. "We already have a strict policy about keeping areas dry, but at this point we'll do whatever the city and the fire department recommends. If they say, 'Hey, don't host events outside,' we'll do it."

For now, the brewery says they won't cancel any outdoor events, and neither will Joey's Italian Café, which has patio seating on the sidewalk and behind the restaurant.

"Right now, for lunch service, we have our customers sitting inside," says Liz Ibarra, the café's assistant manager. "We don't have any events coming, but we do have a happy hour this evening, which we may limit due to the Zika virus if our manager decides that."

[email protected] or 954-356-4364

http://www.sun-sentinel.com/features/southflorida-dot-com/sf-zika-wynwood-businesses-cautious-20160729-story.html

 

[niman]

Wynwood/Edgewater businesses to remain open despite Zika fears

Jul 29, 2016, 2:27pm EDT Updated Jul 29, 2016, 3:02pm EDT

Nina LincoffReporterSouth Florida Business Journal

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A one-square-mile region that includes Miami's Wynwood, Midtown and Edgewater neighborhoods is likely where the Zika virus is being actively transmitted by mosquitoes, Florida Gov. Rick Scott said Friday morning.

The Zika-designated district is the only area where officials are testing local mosquitoes for the virus. The region is defined by Northwest Fifth Avenue on the west, U.S. 1 on the east, 38th Street on the north and 20th Street to the South.

Enlarge

A lab technician displays an Aedes aegypti mosquito infected with Wolbachia bacteria in a… more

DADO GALDIERI

Florida is the only state to see locally transmitted Zika thus far, Scott said at the press conference. While the evidence for locally transmitted Zika is circumstantial, officials are taking all precautions. So far, no mosquitoes that have been tested have yielded a positive Zika result.

Despite the Zika district designation, businesses remain open for customers.

"The spread of Zika is of concern to everyone worldwide,” said Jessica Goldman Srebnick, CEO of Goldman Properties, and Joseph Furst, also with Goldman and chairman of the Wynwood Business Improvement District, in a joint statement.

Goldman Properties is a real estate firm that has long been credited with the redevelopment of Wynwood. Wynwood and the surrounding neighborhoods have been transformed into a high-volume tourist destination that has attracted investment from groups across the country.

“The community of Wynwood will do whatever is necessary to be vigilant in our prevention and will follow the guidelines outlined by the Florida Department of Health. Wynwood's restaurants, galleries, retailers and art-filled streets remain open for business,” Goldman Properties and WBID said in a joint statement.

There have been four cases of Zika in Florida where the patients contracted the virus by a mosquito bite. All were in South Florida.

Zika is a virus that produces relatively mild symptoms for most people. However, it has been linked to birth defects in newborns when a mother contracts the virus during pregnancy.

"If you live in this area and want to be tested, I urge you to contact the county health department, which stands ready to assist you," Scott said.

Miami-Dade and Broward counties will receive $1.28 million in state funds to combat Zika through the rest of 2016.

“As with most emerging health threats, we learn more about Zika each day, but we recognize that the unknown can be scary, especially for pregnant women," Florida Surgeon General Dr. Celeste Philip said in a statement.

http://www.bizjournals.com/southflorida/news/2016/07/29/wynwood-edgewater-businesses-to-remain-open.html

 

Edited July 30, 2016 by niman

[niman]

Investigators were led to Wynwood, a neighborhood full of hip restaurants and art galleries but also vacant storefronts and residential blocks, by two other cases: infected men who work in businesses about 400 feet from each other there, according to the report.

One, a man in his late 20s known as Broward #2, has a job at a business that does work in Brazil and has several employees who travel there frequently, according to the report. The report didn’t name the business or say what kind of work it does.

The patient recently had a houseguest from Brazil, where an explosive epidemic last year led to nearly 166,000 suspected infections and has been tied to birth defects in hundreds of newborns. Fourteen of the roughly 30 employees who work at the business in Wynwood reported they had typical Zika symptoms such as fever, rash, joint pain or conjunctivitis from early June to mid-July, according to the report.

The other infected man, a 26-year-old known as Miami-Dade #2, works at a business nearby with 11 employees. He and a customer were the only ones to report Zika symptoms, according to the report.

http://www.wsj.com/articles/pregnant-zika-victim-alerted-officials-to-florida-outbreak-1470821406