Jump to content

Zika Cluster of Five In Miami Beach Florida


niman

Recommended Posts

Local transmission of Zika virus confirmed in Miami Beach

There have been five locally transmitted cases of the Zika virus confirmed in an area of Miami Beach, Florida Governor Rick Scott said Friday. Three of those individuals were visitors to the area when they contracted the virus.

This brings the total number of locally transmitted cases in Florida to 36.
    Scott said the area in Miami Beach is limited to 1.5 square miles.
    On July 31, Scott announced the first local transmission of the virus in the continental United States has occurred in an area north of downtown Miami.

    http://cbs12.com/news/local/scott-holds-zika-news-conference-from-miami

    Edited by niman
    Link to comment
    Share on other sites

    Zika Infects 5 in Miami Beach, Governor Rick Scott Says

    Zika is now spreading in two places in Florida — in Miami Beach as well as an area north of Miami, Governor Rick Scott confirmed Friday.

    Five people have been infected by Zika locally in Miami Beach, Scott said at a news conference.

    Florida health officials had earlier denied reports that Zika was spreading locally in Miami Beach. The local spread — meaning none of those infected had traveled to Zika-affected regions — strongly suggests that mosquitoes in the area have become infected with the virus and are biting people and spreading it.

    miami_beach_area_1cd8dd0dd402b1176af99f4
     
    The area of Miami Beach where Zika has been spreading. Florida governor's office

    "We believe we have a new area where local transmission is occurring in Miami Beach," Scott told a news conference.

    "Active transmission is happening between 8th and 28th streets, an area just under 1.5 (square) miles."

    Miami Beach is the heart of the city's tourist district and state officials have been keen to protect the No. 1 industry for the region.

    One visitor had been infected before, a Texas resident whocarried the virus back home.

    Zika's confirmed to have infected 36 people locally in Florida, state health officials say - most of the cases in an area north of Miami called Wynwood.

    Local cases were fully expected in Florida, which is home to the Aedes aegypti mosquitoes that spread Zika and also hosts many travelers to and from Zika-affected regions in Latin America.

    Local outbreaks are caused when someone infected with Zika is bitten by a mosquito, which goes on to infect others. Only Aedes species of mosquitoes are known to spread Zika.

    To spread, Zika needs infected people. The virus circulates in blood, semen and can also be found in saliva and urine.

    The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention warns women who are pregnant or thinking of becoming pregnant to stay away from areas where Zika is spreading. Most people are not at risk of serious disease from a Zika infection, but it can cause profound birth defects if a pregnant woman gets infected.

    This is a breaking news story. Refresh for updates. 

    http://www.nbcnews.com/storyline/zika-virus-outbreak/zika-infects-5-miami-beach-governor-rick-scott-says-n634491

    Link to comment
    Share on other sites

    MIAMI, Fla. – Today, Governor Rick Scott announced that the Florida Department of Health (DOH) has learned through one of their investigations that five individuals that have already been confirmed as cases of local transmissions of Zika are connected to the Miami Beach area. DOH believes that active transmission of this virus are only occurring in the area of Miami Beach between 8th and 28th streets (see map below). This is the second area that has been identified as a location where local transmission is occurring and is just under 1.5 square miles. After aggressive testing in the Wynwood area, today DOH is able to clear three additional blocks of the Northeastern area of Wynwood because there is no continued evidence of active transmission (see map below). This is in addition to the 14 blocks DOH has already been able to clear in Wynwood. The total number of local transmissions of Zika in Florida is 36.

    Governor Rick Scott said, “Today, the Florida Department of Health has confirmed a second location in Miami-Dade County where it is believed active Zika transmission is occurring. This location is a very small area that is less than 1.5 square miles in Miami Beach. While we are adding a second location, DOH is also able to continue reducing the zone in Wynwood. The ability to continue reducing that area where we believe local transmission is occurring shows that our efforts to aggressively spray for mosquitoes and educate the public are working.

    “Following today’s news, I am asking the CDC for an additional 5,000 Zika antibody test kits to ensure we can quickly test people for the virus and additional lab support personnel to help us expedite Zika testing. Also, to continue protecting pregnant women, I am renewing my call to the Obama Administration for an additional 10,000 Zika prevention kits. Additionally, we still need a detailed plan on how they would like us to work with FEMA now that this has become mosquito-borne in our state.

    “Just like when we learned of transmission in Wynwood, the county has already begun an aggressive mosquito eradication plan that includes additional spraying in Miami Beach. I also directed the Department of Health to contract with private mosquito control companies to assist the county in this effort. We will continue to work with the county’s mosquito control district and the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services to ensure we are utilizing all resources for mosquito abatement. The Department of Health will also be doing extensive and strategic testing to identify any other people who may have contracted the Zika virus.

    “Tourism is a driving force of our economy and this industry has the full support of our state in the fight against the Zika virus. Yesterday, I directed the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation (DBPR) to work closely with hotels, attractions and restaurants in Miami-Dade County to connect them with resources for Zika prevention and education. To assist in this effort, I have also directed DOH to work with DBPR to provide educational materials and offer mosquito spraying at no cost to these businesses. Our Department of Economic Opportunity has been working with businesses in Wynwood that may have been impacted to ensure they have everything they need to remain successful and they will immediately begin this process in the new identified area in Miami Beach.

    “In Florida, we know how to prepare. We prepare for storms every summer and we have prepared for Zika since our first travel-related case in February. We have already authorized over $26 million in state funds and we will continue to allocate whatever is needed. We are making every resource available to ensure Miami, and our entire state, remains safe for every family and visitor.”

    Following today’s news, Governor Scott is asking the CDC for the following:

    • An additional 5,000 Zika anti body test kits. This will ensure the state can quickly test people for the virus;
    • Additional lab support personnel to help the state expedite Zika testing;
    • An additional 10,000 Zika prevention kits. These are essential for pregnant women. Governor Scott has repeatedly called on the federal government for these additional kits and to date, the state has not received additional resources for them; and
    • A detailed plan from the Obama Administration on how they would like Florida to work with FEMA on how federal resources will be allocated to states now that this has become mosquito-borne in Florida. Governor Scott initially asked for this on June 1st and requested it by June 15th. The state still has not received it and Governor Scott has repeatedly called on the President for this.

    Any Miami-Dade County resident who would like to request mosquito control services for their residence or business should contact Miami-Dade Mosquito Control HERE.

    Click HERE to see a detailed timeline of actions taken by Governor Scott to combat the Zika virus in Florida.

    http://www.flgov.com/2016/08/19/gov-scott-doh-identifies-additional-area-of-local-transmission-in-miami-beach-clears-another-portion-of-wynwood-area/

    MIAMI BEACH AREA
    Miami Beach area


    WYNWOOD AREA (SHADING DENOTES CLEARED AREAS)

    Wynwood area

    ###

    Link to comment
    Share on other sites

    Zika has officially spread to Miami Beach

    An aedes aegypti mosquitoes is seen in The Gorgas Memorial institute for Health Studies laboratory as they conduct a research on preventing the spread of the Zika virus and other mosquito-borne diseases in Panama City February 4, 2016. REUTERS/Carlos JassoAn Aedes aegypti mosquito, which is the bug responsible for spreading Zika and other diseases.Thomson Reuters

    Zika has now spread beyond what was previously the only neighborhood with local transmission in the continental US, Florida Gov. Rick Scottconfirmed Friday

    In addition to the Wynwood neighborhood in Miami, a 1.5 square-mile area of Miami Beach is also experiencing mosquito-transmitted Zika. The Miami Herald first reported the news of the local transmission Thursday citing sources familiar with Florida health officials' discussion.

    "Today, the Florida Department of Health has confirmed a second location in Miami-Dade County where it is believed active Zika transmission is occurring," Scott said in a statement. "This location is a very small area that is less than 1.5 square miles in Miami Beach. While we are adding a second location, [the Department of Health] is also able to continue reducing the zone in Wynwood."

    Here's the section of Miami Beach that has mosquito-transmitted Zika.

    Miami Beach areaFlorida Gov. Rick Scott website

    However, the release noted that nine areas, eight in Miami-Dade county and one in Palm Beach county, are being investigated for local transmission.

    Miami is the first area reporting cases of mosquito-transmitted Zika in the continental US, though the outbreak has affected other US territories, including Puerto Rico.

    The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has issued a travel warning advising against pregnant women traveling to the area, and people living in the area should take steps to prevent mosquito bites. Miami Beach is a major center for tourism in south Florida, and Scott said in a statement that he's working with hotels, restaurants and other businesses to educate on Zika prevention. 

    "We are making every resource available to ensure Miami, and our entire state, remains safe for every family and visitor."

    Zika, which is transmitted mainly by mosquitoes, has been spreading around the Americas over the past year. The cases in Miami are the first time local transmission by mosquitoes has been reported in the continental US. Only about 20% of people who are infected with Zika ever show symptoms, which most commonly include fever, rash, joint pain, and red eyes.

    http://www.businessinsider.com/zika-miami-beach-2016-8

    Link to comment
    Share on other sites

     

    AUGUST 19, 2016 9:55 AM

    Five Zika cases in Miami Beach, new transmission zone, governor confirms

     
    Link to comment
    Share on other sites

    Zika Spreads To Miami Beach As Florida Confirms Five New Cases

    Florida’s governor on Friday confirmed that five people have been infected with the Zika virus in one of the state’s main tourist hubs.

    sub-buzz-18016-1471560510-2.jpg?resize=6

    A Miami-Dade County mosquito control inspector sprays pesticide to kill mosquitos in the Wynwood neighborhood in Miami, Florida. Joe Raedle / Getty Images

    Florida’s busy tourist hub of Miami Beach is the second neighborhood in the state to harbor mosquitoes infected with the Zika virus, officials confirmed Friday.

    Florida Gov. Rick Scott said five cases have been linked to an area on Miami Beach,confirming previous reports that the virus is being transmitted locally there.

    “We believe there are two places where we have local transmission,” Scott said.

    The five cases include a tourist from Taiwan, and another from El Paso County in Texas. The Texas Department of State Health Services reported that case earlier this week.

    Up until the Thursday, the Florida Department of Health had confined the zone of “active transmission” — in which you could encounter a Zika-infected mosquito — to a square mile of Miami-Dade Country, near a neighborhood known as Wynwood.

    Florida is the only state in the continental US where Zika-infected mosquitoes are known to be spreading the virus by biting people. As of Thursday, the Department of Health reported 35 such locally-transmitted cases in the state.

    The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has advised pregnant women to avoid the Wynwood area.

    Throughout the state, 479 other people have picked up the virus after travel to countries in the Caribbean or Latin America in which mosquitoes are spreading the infection.

    Zika has its most devastating effect on pregnant women — arresting brain development in fetuses, who are born with shrunken heads.

    Most adults who contract the infection show mild symptoms, such as a fever or rash, or none at all. In some rare cases, a neurological disorder called Guillain-Barre have been linked to Zika infection.

    https://www.buzzfeed.com/nidhisubbaraman/zika-spreads-to-miami-beach-as-florida-confirms-five-new-cas?utm_term=.cfO4PEn8m#.unLAdJMLV

    Link to comment
    Share on other sites

    Press Release

     

    For Immediate Release

    Friday, August 19, 2016

     

    Contact: CDC Media Relations

    (404) 639-3286

     

    Additional area of active Zika transmission identified in Miami Beach

    Miami-Dade County residents and visitors advised to take steps to reduce risk of Zika transmission

     

    The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has been working with Florida health officials on investigating cases of locally transmitted Zika virus. An additional area of active Zika transmission has been identified in a section of Miami Beach, in addition to the area of active Zika transmission near Wynwood. The Florida Department of Health has also identified at least four other instances of apparently mosquito-borne Zika in Miami-Dade County, and has reported an increase in travel-related cases.  

     

    Based on this new information, CDC and Florida health officials are now recommending the following:

     

    ·         Pregnant women should avoid travel to the designated area of Miami Beach, in addition to the designated area of Wynwood, both located in Miami-Dade County, because active local transmission of Zika has been confirmed.

    ·         Pregnant women and their partners living in or who must travel to the designated areas should be aware of active Zika virus transmission and follow steps to prevent mosquito bites.

    ·         Women and men who live in or who have traveled to the designated area of Miami Beach since July 14, 2016 should be aware of active Zika virus transmission; pregnant women should see their doctor or other healthcare provider about getting tested for Zika; and people who have a pregnant sex partner should consistently and correctly use condoms to prevent infection during sex or avoid having sex for the duration of the pregnancy.

    ·         Pregnant women and their sexual partners who are concerned about potential Zika virus exposure may also consider postponing nonessential travel to all parts of Miami-Dade County.

    ·         All pregnant women in the United States should be evaluated for possible Zika virus exposure during each prenatal care visit.  Each evaluation should include an assessment of signs and symptoms of Zika virus disease (acute onset of fever, rash, arthralgia, conjunctivitis); their travel history; as well as their sexual partner's potential exposure to Zika virus and history of any illness consistent with Zika virus disease to determine whether Zika virus testing is indicated.

    ·         Women with Zika should wait at least 8 weeks after symptoms start before trying to get pregnant.

    ·         Men with Zika should wait at least 6 months after symptoms start before couples try to get pregnant.

    ·         Women and men without confirmed Zika who traveled to this area should wait at least 8 weeks before trying to get pregnant.

    ·         Women and men who live in or frequently travel to this area and who do not have signs or symptoms of Zika should talk to their healthcare provider to inform their decisions about timing of pregnancy.

    “We’re in the midst of mosquito season and expect more Zika infections in the days and months to come,” said CDC Director Tom Frieden, M.D., M.P.H. “It’s difficult but important that pregnant women make every effort to avoid mosquito bites and avoid going to areas where Zika is spreading.  Florida and Miami-Dade County are taking appropriate steps to control mosquitoes and protect pregnant women. It is difficult to predict how long active transmission will continue.  CDC disease control experts are doing everything they can to support state and local control programs to stop the spread of Zika.  Every community in the United States that has the Aedes Aegypti mosquito present must monitor for infections and work to control the mosquitoes.”

    Detecting local spread of Zika is difficult for several reasons:

    ·         The incubation period for Zika infection is up to two weeks,

    ·         A high proportion of infected people have no symptoms, and

    ·         Diagnosis and investigation of cases takes several weeks.

     

    For this reason, it is possible that other neighborhoods in Miami-Dade County have active Zika transmission that is not yet apparent.

     

    CDC advises those living in or traveling to Miami-Dade County to enhance their efforts to prevent mosquito bites. Pregnant women and their sexual partners who are concerned about potential Zika virus exposure may also consider postponing nonessential travel to all parts of Miami-Dade County. 

     

    CDC has been working with state, local, and territorial health officials to prepare for the possibility of locally transmitted Zika virus in the United States.  Officials from Florida participated in all these activities, and their experience in responding to mosquito-borne diseases similar to Zika has been an important source of knowledge in this effort. To date, CDC 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.   

     

    It is understandable that women will be especially concerned, and there are things that everyone can do based on what is currently known. While there are still many unanswered questions about Zika, CDC is working hard to find out more about these infections. Here is what is known:

     

    ·         Zika is spread to people primarily through the bite of an infected Aedes species mosquito (Ae. aegypti and Ae. albopictus).

    ·         A pregnant woman can pass Zika virus to her fetus during pregnancy or around the time of birth.

    ·         Zika virus infection is associated with birth defects and adverse pregnancy outcomes, especially microcephaly.

    ·         A person who is infected with Zika virus can pass it to sex partners.

    ·         Most people infected with Zika virus won’t have symptoms or will only have mild symptoms.

    ·         No vaccines or treatments are currently available to treat or prevent Zika infections.

     

    As of August 17, 2016, 2,260 cases of Zika had been reported in the continental United States and Hawaii, including 529 in pregnant women. These cases also include 22 believed to be the result of sexual transmission and one that was the result of a laboratory exposure.

     

    For more information about Zika: http://www.cdc.gov/zika/

    Link to comment
    Share on other sites

    CDC: Pregnant women should avoid part of Miami Beach affected by Zika

     
     526 1LINKEDIN 1COMMENTMORE

    Pregnant women should now avoid the section of Miami Beach where Zika is spreading, in addition to a smaller area north of downtown Miami, theCenters for Disease Control and Preventionannounced Friday.

    Florida health officials, who have been grappling with a Zika outbreak in Miami's Wynwood neighborhood, confirmed Friday that five people also have been infected in Miami Beach, which is across Biscayne Bay from the rest of the city. That brings the total number of infections spread by local mosquitoes to 36, Gov. Rick Scott announced Friday.

    The Zika patients were infected within a 1.5 square mile area of Miami Beach, said Scott, whose state is the first to experience a Zika outbreak from native mosquitoes. The bulk of the USA's more than 2,200 Zika cases are related to travel.

    Mosquitoes could be spreading in other areas in Miami-Dade County that haven't yet been recognized, according to the CDC.

    Scott, who has requested additional help from the CDC to deal with the outbreak, said officials are taking aggressive mosquito-control measures.

    The affected area of Miami Beach stretches from the beach to the Intracoastal Waterway, from 8th Street to 28th Street, Scott said. This neighborhood is several miles away and on the other side of Biscayne Bay from Wynwood, the first Miami neighborhood to experience a Zika outbreak.

    The CDC took the unprecedented step earlier this month to warn pregnant women to avoid Wynwood, located north of downtown.

    Pregnant women are at greater risk than others from Zika because the virus can cause devastating birth defects in their fetuses, including serious brain damage.

    "I ask every Floridian to take proper precautions," Scott said. "We all have to do our part to wear bug spray and dump standing water," where mosquitoes can breed, he said. "If you see standing water, no mater how small, dump it."

    The new Miami Beach cases include two people from Miami Beach, one from New York, one from Texas and one from Taiwan.

    Scott said Florida "will do everything we can to help pregnant women all across our state. We have a safe state and we are going to keep it that way."

    Scott has asked the CDC for an additional 5,000 Zika antibody test kits "to ensure we can quickly test people for the virus and additional lab support personnel to help us expedite Zika testing," he said. He has also asked the Obama Administration for an additional 10,000 Zika prevention kits. Scott said he's waiting for a "detailed plan" on how to work with FEMA.

    At least 529 pregnant women in the continental U.S. and Hawaii have been infected with Zika, according to the CDC. Seventeen American women have given birth to babies with Zika-related birth defects and six have lost pregnancies due to the disease, according to the CDC.

    More than 10,000 people have been diagnosed with Zika in Puerto Rico, including more than 1,000 pregnant women, according to the Puerto Rico health department.

    Liz Szabo reports for USA TODAY. Liz Freeman reports for the Naples (Fla.) Daily News.

    http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/2016/08/19/5-zika-cases-found-miami-beach/88993652/

    Link to comment
    Share on other sites

    Florida officials: Zika spread by mosquitoes in South Beach

     

    MIAMI — South Beach has been identified as second site of Zika transmission by mosquitoes on the U.S. mainland, Florida officials said Friday.

    But Gov. Rick Scott said the state does not plan to advise people to stay away from the beaches, nightclubs and pedestrian thoroughfares that form the heart of South Florida's travel industry.

    Five cases of Zika have been connected to Miami Beach, bringing the state's caseload to 36 infections not related to travel outside the U.S., Scott said.

     

    "We believe these cases were from mosquitoes," said Florida Department of Health spokeswoman Mara Gambineri in an email to The Associated Press.

    Two patients are Miami-Dade County residents, and three are tourists, including one man and two women, Scott said. The tourists are residents of New York, Texas and Taiwan.

     
     
     
    Pause
    Current Time0:00
    /
    Duration Time0:00
     
    Loaded: 0%
    Progress: 0%
    0:00
    Fullscreen
     
    00:00
    Unmute

    "We believe we have a new area where local transmissions are occurring in Miami Beach," Scott said. He described the area on the narrow island city as just under 1.5 miles between 8th and 28th streets.

     

    Another infection zone was previously identified across a roughly 1-square-mile area encompassing Miami's Wynwood arts district. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has advised pregnant women to avoid the entire neighborhood.

    CDC officials did not immediately respond Friday to questions about whether their travel advisory, the agency's first for pregnant women within the continental U.S., would be expanded.

    Additional infections outside Wynwood and Miami Beach also are being investigated. Health officials have said one case of Zika does not determine whether an area is declared a site of active transmission.

    http://www.maysville-online.com/florida-officials-zika-spread-by-mosquitoes-in-south-beach/article_fccfbb12-d7b4-5122-b86c-274925574abb.html

     

    Link to comment
    Share on other sites

    • 2 weeks later...
     

    SEPTEMBER 1, 2016 3:43 PM

    Zika testing hard to find if you’re not pregnant, patients say

     
    Link to comment
    Share on other sites

    Please sign in to comment

    You will be able to leave a comment after signing in



    Sign In Now
    • Recently Browsing   0 members

      • No registered users viewing this page.
    ×
    ×
    • Create New...