niman Posted August 19, 2016 Report Share Posted August 19, 2016 On Thursday, the health official with knowledge of the new developments said that in Miami Beach, there are “a handful of cases” of likely local transmission that involve people who were in “close proximity to each other,” including two new cases that the Florida Department of Health announced Thursday. http://www.nytimes.com/2016/08/19/science/new-cluster-of-zika-cases-is-reported-in-miami-beach.html?_r=1&referer=&referer Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
niman Posted August 19, 2016 Author Report Share Posted August 19, 2016 New Cluster of Zika Cases Is Reported in Miami Beach By LIZETTE ALVAREZ and PAM BELLUCKAUG. 18, 2016 On Thursday, the health official with knowledge of the new developments said that in Miami Beach, there are “a handful of cases” of likely local transmission that involve people who were in “close proximity to each other,” including two new cases that the Florida Department of Healthannounced Thursday. The official insisted on anonymity, saying that details about the location and any travel guidance for pregnant women are not likely to be officially announced until Friday at the earliest. The official said that expanding the travel advisory broadly would not indicate that health officials think that the Zika virus was spreading rapidly throughout the county or Miami Beach. Rather, it would be “for the sake of almost simplification to make it easy for people to understand the geographic area,” the official said. “Now that we have a second area of local transmission, I think officials wouldn’t be surprised to see in the coming weeks another area,” the official added. “So in an effort to simplify things and get ahead, there are discussions about expanding the area to possibly include the county or other parts of the Miami area.” Jackie Schutz, Gov. Rick Scott’s communications director, said Thursday that public health officials “have not confirmed a new zone of active transmission,” besides the one-square-mile area in Wynwood, a neighborhood in Miami, that has been designated a zone of active local transmission of the Zika virus since Aug. 1. She added, “there are multiple cases being investigated.” So far, 25 of the 35 cases of suspected local transmission that Florida health officials have announced have ties to the Wynwood neighborhood, most of them linked to two small businesses. Mara Gambineri, a spokeswoman for the Florida Department of Health, said the department “still believes active transmissions are still only occurring in the area that is less than one square mile in Miami-Dade County.” She added, “If investigations reveal additional areas of likely active transmission, the department will announce a defined area of concern.” The mayor of Miami Beach, Philip Levine, said that state officials had not confirmed to him that there were cases in Miami Beach. But he said, “There could be a link to Miami Beach.” He added, “We can expect to see Zika popping up here and there, but it’s not an epidemic.” The health official interviewed Thursday said Florida officials might be waiting to announce the new cluster until a decision was made about how large an area would be included in any new travel advisory, something that officials from the state and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention were discussing Thursday night. “At a minimum is expanding the travel advisory to Miami Beach,” the health official said. “What’s on the table right now is Miami Beach and making it bigger than Miami Beach. There are discussions about the whole of Miami-Dade County.” The C.D.C. had not issued a statement as of Thursday night, and agency officials said it would do so only after the State of Florida released more details about a new cluster and location. A city of 92,000 people, Miami Beach sits on a series of barrier islands east of Miami. Its crystalline waters, night clubs, restaurants and hip hotels make it one of the biggest tourist hot spots in the state. About seven million tourists stayed in Miami Beach hotels in 2015, and others visited without staying there, according to the Greater Miami Convention and Visitors Bureau. About half are international tourists, with Brazil leading the way. On Thursday, the health official with knowledge of the discussions said that any updated travel guidance would probably be similar to the advisory for Wynwood. Pregnant women were advised not to travel there and women who lived or worked in the zone, and their partners, were advised to protect themselves from mosquito bites and to practice protected sex. Among those affected by an advisory would be Batsheva Wulfsohn, who is seven and a half months pregnant, and her husband, Zak Stern. The couple live in Miami Beach, and Mr. Stern runs a bakery in Wynwood. “I’m still searching for that reasonable reaction to something that is still quite mysterious in its effects,” said Mr. Stern, who had not heard about the Miami Beach cases on Thursday. “My wife is trying to kind of balance doing everything she can as a responsible mother, while not allowing herself to be crippled in fear all day.” It is exactly that kind of balance that public health officials have also been striving for, said Dr. William Schaffner, the head of preventive medicine at Vanderbilt University’s medical school. In issuing travel warnings, he said, “they don’t want to do social and culture and economic harm and they don’t want to do medical and public health harm by indicating that people are at risk when the risk may be very, very low.” The authorities have limited travel advisories to Wynwood because it was linked to multiple cases, and because the Aedes aegypti mosquito, which transmits Zika, can travel only short distances, does not live long and does not pass the virus to its larvae, he said. Also, in two other viruses the mosquito transmits, dengue and chikungunya, a mosquito has usually infected only one person, not many, he said. “But the world is sometimes a little messier” than scientific precedent would suggest, he said. So far, health officials “have been making reasonable decisions, and we have all wondered what’s it going to take for them to expand the travel advisory,” he added. “They tread a fine line between really aggressive and being really cautious.” Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
niman Posted August 19, 2016 Author Report Share Posted August 19, 2016 Map Update https://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 August 19, 2016 Author Report Share Posted August 19, 2016 Health Officials Investigating Cluster of Possible Zika Cases in Miami Beach Revelations come after officials identified a neighborhood north of downtown Miami as a transmission zone \ http://www.wsj.com/articles/health-officials-investigating-cluster-of-possible-zika-cases-in-miami-beach-1471565519 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
niman Posted August 19, 2016 Author Report Share Posted August 19, 2016 Possible Zika Cases Being Investigated in Miami Beach By J.J. GALLAGHER Aug 19, 2016, 3:28 AM ET Getty WATCH Zika Virus Spreads to Miami Beach SHARE Email Two possible cases of Zika have been reported in Miami Beach, setting off alarm in one of the country's biggest tourist destinations even as public officials stress that the location where the virus was actually transmitted has not been confirmed. "By now you may have seen the various news reports regarding the Zika virus linked to Miami Beach," Miami Beach City Manager Jimmy Moraels said in a statement. "It is important to note that at this time the Department of Health has not confirmed any cases on Miami Beach, however we have been informed that cases are being investigated." Getty Images A plane sprays pesticide over the Wynwood neighborhood in the hope of controlling and reducing the number of mosquitos, some of which may be capable of spreading the Zika virusmore + The Florida Department of Health Thursday reported two new non-travel related cases of Zika showing up outside the one-square-mile area around Miami's Wynwood arts district where several cases had previously been reported. City and state officials have said that the outbreak is contained to that specific area, where efforts to eradicate the mosquito population have also been focused. Getty Images Barbara Betancourt holds her baby Daniel Valdes after being given a can of insect repellent by James Bernat, a City of Miami police officermore + The New York Times cited an anonymous health official saying a "handful" of cases had been linked to Miami Beach. The Miami Herald quoted an email reportedly sent from Moraels to Miami Beach commissioners in which he mentions a tourist who may have been infected during a stay there, as well as a local resident who lives and works in Miami Beach who may also have become infected. TNS via Getty Images A grounds keeper at Pinecrest Gardens, former home of the historic Parrot Jungle, uses a blower to spray pesticide to kill mosquitos Aug. 4, 2016 in Miamimore + The two additional cases reported Thursday bring the total number of local transmissions of the Zika virus in Florida to 35. http://abcnews.go.com/US/zika-cases-investigated-miami-beach/story?id=41506478 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
niman Posted August 19, 2016 Author Report Share Posted August 19, 2016 Report: Zika virus has spread to Miami Beach Zika transmission zone in Miami Beach to be announced By Jeff Tavss - Executive Producer , Amanda Batchelor - Senior Digital Editor Posted: 2:42 PM, August 18, 2016Updated: 11:19 PM, August 18, 2016 0 0 0 Comments MIAMI BEACH, Fla. - The Zika virus has reportedly jumped from mainland Miami-Dade County to Miami Beach. Miami Beach officials told Local 10 News that the two new Zika related cases are being investigated. The Health department investigation will include looking into the sexual history of the infected people. More Zika Virus Headlines Health officials investigate 4 areas for possible local Zika virus transmissions Wynwood businesses remain hopeful amid Zika virus fears Mayor runs into protesters angry over pesticides to fight Zika Zika virus can remain in sperm for 6 months Miami-Dade mayor wants more from Gov. Rick Scott to fight Zika Miami private school staff says mosquito spraying is causing sore… Meanwhile, Miami Beach has increased efforts to prevent the spread of Zika. The Miami Herald reports that a new Zika transmission has been identified in Miami Beach and that officials will detail a new transmission zone within the city. The report added that Miami Beach officials and code compliance officers were already at work inspecting for mosquito breeding sites. According to the New York Times, a "cluster of Zika cases" were likely contracted in the area. Miami Beach City Manager Jimmy Morales tweeted out that the city's strategy "has been & will continue to be focusing on elimination of potential breeding sites, educating residents, visitors & businesses." Morales said the city is working with Miami-Dade County and they are inspecting Miami Beach as necessary. Up until now, the only specified zone in the U.S. was in the Wynwood neighborhood north of downtown Miami. However, non-travel related transmissions of Zika have been identified outside Wynwood. The Florida Department of Health confirmed Thursday that two additional people have contracted the virus locally in Miami-Dade County, bringing the number of local transmissions of the Zika virus in Florida to 35. The DOH is investigating eight areas in Miami-Dade County and one area in Palm Beach County, where local transmissions of Zika might have occurred. Health officials did not specify the areas in the two counties that they are investigating. The Herald said the DOH has not responded to their request for comment. Follow Jimmy Morales @CityManagerMB . @MiamiBeachNews is in constant communication w/@HealthyFla regarding best strategies to implement mosquito control. 2:46 PM - 18 Aug 2016 http://www.local10.com/health/zika-virus/report-zika-virus-has-spread-into-miami-beach Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
niman Posted August 19, 2016 Author Report Share Posted August 19, 2016 Zika virus now believed to be spreading in Miami Beach ROBERTO SCHMIDT/AFP/GETTY IMAGESHealth officials believe mosquitoes may be transmitting Zika in parts of Miami Beach. By HELEN BRANSWELL @HelenBranswell AUGUST 18, 2016 Twitter Facebook LinkedIn Email Republish Print Health officials now believe the Zika virus is being transmitted by mosquitoes in parts of Miami Beach, a development that is expected to lead to a travel warning for one of the country’s best known travel destinations. Roughly a handful of cases have cropped up that are believed to be linked to that part of the city, a health official who spoke on condition of anonymity told STAT. Late Thursday afternoon health authorities were working to finalize the area that would be covered by a new travel advisory from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Late last month, the CDC warned women who are pregnant to avoid a one-square-mile section of Wynwood, the Miami neighborhood where local transmission was first identified. That marked the first time the Zika virus was confirmed to have been spreading in the United States, and the first time CDC had warned Americans against traveling to a part of the country to avoid contracting a disease. Since then, 35 people who are believed to have been infected locally through the bites of mosquitoes have been identified. Many have been linked to Wynwood, either because they live, work, or have spent time there. But a number of cases have not had obvious ties to that part of the city. The specter of ongoing Zika transmission in Miami Beach could have significant consequences for the Miami tourism industry, a key source of revenue for the state. The city saw a record 15.5 million visitors last year, according to the Greater Miami Convention & Visitors Bureau. It could also have an impact outside Miami. Earlier this week, Texas reported a case of Zika that was contracted in Miami. And Taiwan reported a woman who had traveled to Miami came home infected. Zika is transmitted mainly by Aedes aegypti mosquitoes, which are found throughout Florida and other states on the Gulf Coast. Although the virus generally causes only a mild illness — and often no symptoms at all — it can cause serious birth defects in fetuses when it infects pregnant women. Miami Beach Commissioner Kristen Rosen Gonzalez said officials have yet to find a Zika-carrying mosquito. “All we have right now are reported cases of people who are positive,” she said. “That being said, we’re working on mosquito control.” Helen Branswell can be reached at [email protected] Follow Helen on Twitter @HelenBranswell https://www.statnews.com/2016/08/18/zika-virus-miami-beach/?s_campaign=tw&utm_content=buffere48e6&utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter.com&utm_campaign=buffer Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Health officials now believe the Zika virus is being transmitted by mosquitoes in parts of Miami Beach, a development that is expected to lead to a travel warning for one of the country’s best known travel destinations. Roughly a handful of cases have cropped up that are believed to be linked to that part of the city, a health official who spoke on condition of anonymity told STAT. Late Thursday afternoon health authorities were working to finalize the area that would be covered by a new travel advisory from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Late last month, the CDC warned women who are pregnant to avoid a one-square-mile section of Wynwood, the Miami neighborhood where local transmission was first identified. That marked the first time the Zika virus was confirmed to have been spreading in the United States, and the first time CDC had warned Americans against traveling to a part of the country to avoid contracting a disease. Since then, 35 people who are believed to have been infected locally through the bites of mosquitoes have been identified. Many have been linked to Wynwood, either because they live, work, or have spent time there. But a number of cases have not had obvious ties to that part of the city. The specter of ongoing Zika transmission in Miami Beach could have significant consequences for the Miami tourism industry, a key source of revenue for the state. The city saw a record 15.5 million visitors last year, according to the Greater Miami Convention & Visitors Bureau. It could also have an impact outside Miami. Earlier this week, Texas reported a case of Zika that was contracted in Miami. And Taiwan reported a woman who had traveled to Miami came home infected. Zika is transmitted mainly by Aedes aegypti mosquitoes, which are found throughout Florida and other states on the Gulf Coast. Although the virus generally causes only a mild illness — and often no symptoms at all — it can cause serious birth defects in fetuses when it infects pregnant women. Miami Beach Commissioner Kristen Rosen Gonzalez said officials have yet to find a Zika-carrying mosquito. “All we have right now are reported cases of people who are positive,” she said. “That being said, we’re working on mosquito control.” Helen Branswell can be reached at [email protected] Follow Helen on Twitter @HelenBranswell https://www.statnews.com/2016/08/18/zika-virus-miami-beach/?s_campaign=tw&utm_content=buffere48e6&utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter.com&utm_campaign=buffer
niman Posted August 19, 2016 Author Report Share Posted August 19, 2016 Two new cases of Zika have been linked to Miami Beach, NBC 6 learned Thursday. One case was from a tourist that visited the city two weeks ago, and the other is from a resident who works on the beach according to an email obtained. Zika Virus Outbreak Miami Beach city manager Jimmy Morales tweeted that officials have been in constant contact with the Florida Department of Health on the best strategies for mosquito control. Florida Department of Health officials confirmed in a statement that there were two new non-travel related cases of Zika outside the one-square mile area in Wynwood where more than two dozen other cases have been found, but didn't give an exact location. "While the department is continuing to investigate areas in Miami-Dade and Palm Beach Counties where local transmissions of Zika may have occurred, the department still believes active transmissions are still only occurring in the area that is less than one square mile in Miami-Dade County," the statement read. "If investigations reveal additional areas of likely active transmission, the department will announce a defined area of concern." At a news conference Thursday night, Miami Beach Mayor Philip Levine said there's a possibility of a link between the Zika cases and Miami Beach but stressed that they haven't been confirmed. "There is no epidemic, there is no outbreak of Zika on Miami Beach, there are two unconfirmed cases, the county says and the health department says, but they have not been confirmed for Miami Beach," Levine said. Levine also quickly dismissed any reports that there was a Zika cluster in Miami Beach. "I know there's been talk about some kind of cluster, there's no cluster," he said. Levine also said the city has been ramping up the fight against mosquitoes. "I can tell you this, I wouldn't want to be a mosquito on Miami Beach," Levine said. Morales sent a message to residents later Thursday asking them to drain sources of standing water, including flower pots, buckets, car tires, toys and other items. Morales added that they're also working with Miami-Dade County on inspecting and mitigating mosquitoes. Stay tuned to NBC 6 on air and online for more on this developing story. Read more: http://www.nbcmiami.com/news/local/Miami-Beach-Announces-Two-Cases-of-Zika-Discovered-In-City-Including-One-Tourist-390601131.html#ixzz4Hm02IFzd Follow us: @nbcphiladelphia on Twitter | NBCPhiladelphia on Facebook Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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