niman Posted September 1, 2016 Report Share Posted September 1, 2016 The Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services has detected Zika in three mosquito samples from a small area in Miami Beach. The mosquitoes from Miami Beach that tested positive for Zika are from an area where increased trapping and intensified mosquito control measures are occurring due to the investigation of local transmission led by the Florida Department of Health. Ninety-five additional samples have been submitted by Miami-Dade County after the date of the positive http://www.freshfromflorida.com/News-Events/Press-Releases/2016-Press-Releases/Miami-Dade-Mosquitoes-Test-Positive-for-Zika Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
niman Posted September 1, 2016 Author Report Share Posted September 1, 2016 Miami-Dade Mosquitoes Test Positive for Zika Sep 1, 2016 TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — The Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services has detected Zika in three mosquito samples from a small area in Miami Beach. The mosquitoes from Miami Beach that tested positive for Zika are from an area where increased trapping and intensified mosquito control measures are occurring due to the investigation of local transmission led by the Florida Department of Health. Ninety-five additional samples have been submitted by Miami-Dade County after the date of the positive submission, and the mosquitoes have tested negative for Zika. “This find is disappointing, but not surprising. Florida is among the best in the nation when it comes to mosquito surveillance and control, and this detection enables us to continue to effectively target our resources. Miami-Dade County, the City of Miami Beach, and state and federal partners will continue to work aggressively to prevent the spread of Zika,” stated Commissioner of Agriculture Adam H. Putnam. “Miami-Dade County's Mosquito Control team continues its proactive and aggressive response to reducing the mosquito population throughout the County,” said Miami-Dade County Mayor Carlos A. Gimenez. “As it has been from the beginning, our goal is to eliminate the cycle of transmission by eliminating the mosquitoes. In the 1.5-square-mile area of Miami Beach where locally-acquired cases of Zika were confirmed, Miami-Dade County's Mosquito Control team conducted nearly 2,000 proactive inspections, abatement and treatment of mosquito breeding and adult mosquito activity, and three truck sprayings throughout the area, and in an additional extended area. I am confident that by working together with our community, with the City of Miami Beach and Mayor Levine, the Department of Agriculture, the Florida Department of Health, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, we will continue to reduce the mosquito population and keep our community safe.” "Miami Beach will continue to take a hardline in our fight against Zika. We are aggressively working to eliminate any and all potential mosquito breeding grounds. We are also working closely with our partners at the state and the county to ensure all resources are effectively deployed. Together we can contain and eliminate all cases of Zika. We need Congress to do its part to provide the necessary emergency resources to properly combat the spread of this virus," stated Miami Beach Mayor Philip Levine. The positive mosquito pools were collected in Miami Beach within the current zone that has been treated for local transmission. Scientists with the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services tested the samples at the Bronson Animal Disease Diagnostic Laboratory in Kissimmee, and the samples were then sent to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and Florida Gulf Coast University for confirmation. Florida's proactive efforts, which are conducted by local mosquito control programs and supported by the expertise provided by the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, include: eliminating larval habitats by emptying standing water, treating water-holding containers with long-lasting larvicide, providing outdoor residual and spatial insecticide treatments to reduce adult vectors, and conducting adult mosquito surveillance to evaluate the effectiveness of treatments. Now that Zika-positive mosquitoes have been identified in surveillance traps in Miami Beach, Miami-Dade County's Mosquito Control team will continue to conduct inspections to reduce mosquito breeding and perform spray treatments as necessary in a 1/8-mile radius around the trap location. Floridians can help prevent the spread of Zika by eliminating mosquito breeding grounds by draining standing water around their homes, businesses and communities. On February 2, 2016, the Florida Surgeon General declared a public health emergency in regards to the Zika virus. Floridians can assist in Zika-related response efforts by draining standing water and allowing officials who are conducting mosquito control efforts to access their property. The Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services has tested more than 2,470 mosquito samples, consisting of more than 40,000 mosquitoes, since May, and these three samples are the first to test positive. Access a copy of the mosquito declaration [ 939.54 KB ]. For more information on the Zika virus, visit the Florida Department of Health's website at FloridaHealth.gov. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
niman Posted September 1, 2016 Author Report Share Posted September 1, 2016 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
niman Posted September 1, 2016 Author Report Share Posted September 1, 2016 SEPTEMBER 1, 2016 11:43 AM Mosquitoes test positive for Zika in South Beach 1 of 2 BY JOEY FLECHAS AND DANIEL CHANG [email protected] LINKEDIN GOOGLE+ PINTEREST REDDIT PRINT ORDER REPRINT OF THIS STORY For the first time in the U.S., mosquitoes trapped in a zone where Zika virus is being actively transmitted have tested positive for the virus. Three Zika-positive moquitoes were sampled in South Beach, where a 1.5-square mile zone has been designated as an area of active transmission of the virus, The Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services confirmed Thursday morning. One of the areas with a positive test is the Miami Beach Botanical Garden. FACEBOOK TWITTER EMAIL SHARE Gov. Rick Scott declares Zika zone in Miami Beach Gov. Rick Scott and Florida Surgeon General Dr. Celeste Philip announce on Friday, Aug. 19, 2016, that there are five known Zika cases in Miami Beach, in a 1.5-square-mile transmission zone in the city. Emily Michot [email protected] The announcement of the zone was followed by a travel advisory warning pregnant women to avoid the area, which stretches from Fifth Street north to 28th Street, and from Biscayne Bay east to the Atlantic Ocean. County and city officials have ramped up mosquito control efforts both in South Beach, the heart of the area’s tourism industry, and Wynwood. Mosquito counts have decreased. But the Beach, a dense urban environment with lots of landscaping that can serve as breeding grounds, presents a challenge for officials. Read more here: http://www.miamiherald.com/news/local/community/miami-dade/miami-beach/article99246602.html#storylink=cpy http://www.miamiherald.com/news/local/community/miami-dade/miami-beach/article99246602.html Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
niman Posted September 1, 2016 Author Report Share Posted September 1, 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 September 1, 2016 Author Report Share Posted September 1, 2016 Zika-infected mosquitoes found in Miami Beach ALAN DIAZ/APA Miami-Dade mosquito control inspector sprays a chemical mist into a storm drain in Miami Beach, Fla. By ANDREW JOSEPH @DrewQJoseph SEPTEMBER 1, 2016 Florida officials have found mosquitoes in Miami Beach infected with Zika, the first time the virus has been detected in mosquitoes in the continental United States. Officials had already announced that Zika is circulating in a portion of Miami Beach and a neighborhood in Miami after deducing that some Zika cases could only have been acquired from local mosquitoes. But discovering Zika-positive mosquitoes amounts to what authorities have described as a smoking gun that local Zika transmission is indeed occurring. So far, federal health officials have identified the two zones in Miami Beach and Miami as the only spots of active Zika transmission in the United States and have recommended pregnant woman avoid traveling to those areas if possible. As of Wednesday, Florida had seen 47 local Zika cases. It has had 569 cases related to people traveling to other regions where Zika is spreading, including 80 involving pregnant women. The three Zika-positive mosquito samples came from a small area in Miami Beach, the state’s Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services announced Thursday. A mosquito sample typically consists of material from more than a dozen individual mosquitoes. Officials ramped up their trapping and testing of mosquitoes after local spread was identified, and the department said that 95 additional mosquito samples from the area have tested negative for Zika since infected mosquitoes were identified. Since May, the state has tested more than 40,000 mosquitoes, the department said. The Zika virus, which has spread rapidly through much of Latin America and the Caribbean, is transmitted mainly by mosquitoes, but can also be passed through sex. It typically causes mild symptoms or none at all, but it can cause severe birth defects in fetuses when it infects pregnant women. Since the discovery of local Zika spread in Miami-Dade County, officials have expanded their mosquito control efforts, with particular focus in the two areas where transmission is active. One challenge in fighting mosquitoes in Miami Beach is the city’s famous high rises, which create wind tunnels and prevent planes from flying low enough to dispense insecticide effectively. Andrew Joseph can be reached at [email protected] Follow Andrew on Twitter @DrewQJoseph https://www.statnews.com/2016/09/01/florida-mosquitoes-zika-miami-beach/?s_campaign=tw&utm_content=buffer21695&utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter.com&utm_campaign=buffer Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
niman Posted September 1, 2016 Author Report Share Posted September 1, 2016 Zika found in mosquitoes in Miami Beach By Debra Goldschmidt, CNN Updated 4:15 PM ET, Thu September 1, 2016 (CNN)Mosquitoes carrying the Zika virus have been identified in Miami Beach, the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services said Thursday. It's the first finding of Zika-carrying mosquitoes in the continental United States. The three mosquito samples that tested positive were from the area in Miami Beach that waspreviously identified as an area of local transmission. Ninety-five other samples tested negative, according to the department. "This is disappointing but not surprising," said Adam Putnam, the Florida commissioner of agriculture. Mosquito-control measures and mosquito trapping are already in place in the area. "We already knew because of human cases [that] Zika transmission was occurring; positive pools are just further indication that transmission is still occurring in the area," CDC spokeswoman Candice Hoffmann said. Developing story - more to come http://www.cnn.com/2016/09/01/health/florida-zika-mosquitoes/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
niman Posted September 1, 2016 Author Report Share Posted September 1, 2016 SEPTEMBER 1, 2016 Sources: Miami Beach Police officer infected with Zika virus MIAMI BEACH, FLA. (WSVN) - According to 7News sources, a Miami Beach Police officer is among those infected with Zika. The City of Miami Beach or police department have not commented on this case. The identity or condition of the officer is unclear at this time. Thursday morning, Authorities said they have found the Zika virus in three groups of trapped mosquitoes in Miami Beach, the first time this has happened in the continental US. “The Zika-carrying mosquitoes were trapped in a touristy 1.5-square-mile area of Miami Beach that had been identified as an active zone of active transmission of the virus, the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services said in a news release. This find is disappointing, but not surprising,” Commissioner of Agriculture Adam H. Putnam said. “Florida is among the best in the nation when it comes to mosquito surveillance and control, and this detection enables us to continue to effectively target our resources.” So far, a total of 47 locally transmitted cases of the Zika virus have been discovered in Florida, according to the CDC. Florida Gov. Rick Scott announced the latest Zika zone, a 1.5 square mile area in Miami Beach, on Aug. 19. The first U.S. hot zone for locally transmitted cases of Zika was identified in the Wynwood neighborhood of Miami, in late July. The mosquito-borne illness is especially dangerous for pregnant women and has been linked to serious birth defects. The CDC has issued a travel advisory for pregnant women to avoid the Zika hot Zones in Miami-Dade County. If a mosquito carrying Zika does bite, it can take up to two weeks to cause symptoms like: fever headache skin rash joint pain conjunctivitis, which causes red, irritated eyes The State Surgeon General has activated a 24-hour Zika hotline in Florida to answer questions and concerns. That number is 855-622-6735. Pregnant women can receive a free test at the Health District Center, located at 1350 NW 14th St in Miami. For more information, call (305)-324-2400. http://wsvn.com/news/local/sources-miami-beach-police-officer-infected-with-zika-virus/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
niman Posted September 1, 2016 Author Report Share Posted September 1, 2016 Florida finds Zika in local mosquitoes, bromeliads blamed By CURT ANDERSON and KELLI KENNEDY - 9/1/16 5:08 PM Share on Facebook Tweet on Twitter MIAMI — Florida has found the Zika virus in three groups of mosquitoes trapped in Miami Beach — the first time this has happened in the continental U.S. — and authorities are blaming a particular flower for making mosquito control much more difficult. One of the traps that tested positive was at the Miami Beach Botanical Gardens, where bromeliads bloom. The plants trap standing water in their cylindrical centers, providing excellent breeding areas for mosquitoes amid their colorful flowers and pointy leaves. “Everyone should know by now that bromeliads are really problematic for us. These are probably the number one breeding area for mosquitoes,” said the mayor. He said Miami Beach is removing all bromeliads from its landscaping, and urged residents across the county to either pull them out or rinse them after every rain. And with Hurricane Hermine bringing much more rain to Florida, Gov. Rick Scott on Thursday ordered the county to immediately conduct aerial spraying by helicopter as recommended by the CDC. The Zika-carrying mosquitoes were trapped in a touristy 1.5-square-mile area of South Beach identified as a zone of active transmission of the virus, the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services said in a news release. “This is the first time we have found a Zika virus positive mosquito pool in the continental United States,” confirmed Erin Sykes, a CDC spokeswoman. Finding the virus in mosquitoes has been likened by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control to finding a needle in a haystack, but the testing helps mosquito controllers target their efforts, and it confirms that the insects themselves, in addition to infected humans, have begun transmitting the virus inside the mainland United States. The illness spreads from people to mosquitoes to people again through bites, but the insects do not spread the disease among their own population, and their lifespan is just a few weeks. A poll released Thursday suggests nearly 48 percent of Americans are wary of traveling to U.S. destinations where people have been infected with Zika through mosquito bites. The Kaiser Family Foundation survey also found 61 percent felt uneasy about traveling to Zika zones outside the U.S. mainland, including Puerto Rico. Most of the Zika infections from Florida mosquitoes have been in the Miami area, not the tourist mecca of Orlando and its Walt Disney World, Universal and SeaWorld theme parks. But Miami is a major tourism draw, with more than 15.5 million people making overnight visits to the city and its nearby beaches last year. Florida in general has a lot to lose as Zika spreads: The state set a new record for tourism with more than 105 million people from out of state and other countries visiting in 2015. Officials said they are not considering asking restaurants and bars in the area to temporarily close outdoor dining areas, but they will increase spraying, trapping and testing. “This is a very, very difficult mosquito to control,” said Gimenez. “The CDC director once told me this is the cockroach of mosquitoes, that it will find a way somehow to breed.” Since July, authorities have linked a couple dozen cases to transmission in small areas of Miami’s Wynwood district and the popular South Beach neighborhood of Miami Beach. Other isolated cases not linked to travel outside the U.S. also have been confirmed elsewhere in Miami-Dade county, as well as in neighboring counties and in the Tampa Bay area, totaling 47 for the state. A third of people surveyed in the poll believe Congress should make approving more funds to combat Zika a top priority. President Barack Obama proposed $1.9 billion in emergency funding for Zika in February, but Congress has been unable to agree on a final bill. The poll of 1,211 adults conducted Aug. 18-24 has a margin of error of plus or minus 3 percentage points. Scott, a Republican, has repeatedly called on Congress to send the president a Zika funding bill, saying “we still need the federal government to show up.” In Washington, U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Sylvia Burwell expressed frustration that Congress hasn’t acted. She’s been forced to take from other health priorities to fund the fight against Zika, and said that stopgap funding will run out at the month’s end. “The money that’s running out is the tide-over money we have taken from other (priorities),” Burwell told reporters. “What we need is a bipartisan agreement.” That is how previous Congresses handled earlier public health emergencies such as bird flu and Ebola. Burwell said any Zika bill has to make special provision for Puerto Rico, which has been most severely affected. Local officials said 95 more mosquito samples — each one containing several dozen bugs — have tested negative since the three traps were found. “Yes, we will be asking the federal and state government for additional funds as we move on in the fight against Zika, but it doesn’t mean we will be stopping any of our efforts,” while we wait to be reimbursed, said Gimenez. Kennedy reported from Fort Lauderdale and Mike Stobbe from New York. http://www.therepublic.com/2016/09/01/us-zika-florida-4/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
niman Posted September 2, 2016 Author Report Share Posted September 2, 2016 Mosquitoes in Miami Beach test positive for Zika Filed Under: Zika Lisa Schnirring | News Editor | CIDRAP News | Sep 01, 2016 Share Tweet LinkedIn Email Print & PDF dead_mosquitoes-us_air_force.jpg US Air Force, Brian Ferguson / Flickr cc Florida agriculture officials today said Zika virus has been detected in three mosquito samples collected from a small area in Miami Beach, the first such finding in mosquitoes in the continental United States, as the state and newly affected Singapore report more locally acquired infections. Also today, the World Health Organization (WHO) said four Zika samples from recent cases in Guinea-Bissau are part of the African lineage, not the one spreading in the Americas, and Japan-based Takeda announced a US government contract to develop a Zika vaccine. Three positives of 2,470 tested The mosquitoes that tested positive were collected from an area of increased trapping and intensified mosquito control efforts as part of the investigation into local transmission, the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (FDACS) said today in a press release. The positive mosquito pools were in an area in the zone treated in response to local transmission. FDACS scientists did the initial testing, and the results were confirmed by labs at the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and Florida Gulf Coast University. Adam Putnam, Florida's agriculture commissioner, said in the statement, "This find is disappointing, but not surprising. Florida is among the best in the nation when it comes to mosquito surveillance and control, and this detection enables us to continue to effectively target our resources." Officials said tests on 95 mosquito samples submitted by Miami-Dade County after the positive samples were turned in for testing all yielded negative results and that mosquito control teams will continue their proactive and aggressive efforts to battle the mosquitoes. County mosquito control teams have targeted a 1/8-mile radius around the positive Miami Beach surveillance traps for eliminating mosquito breeding grounds by draining standing water and spraying as needed. The FDACS said since May it has tested more than 2,470 mosquito samples, which contained 40,000 mosquitoes. Experts have said it might be difficult to find positive mosquito samples, even in outbreak situations. Several months passed in Brazil's outbreak before officials isolated Zika in a mosquito sample there. Florida, Singapore report more local cases The Florida Department of Health (Florida Health) today reported two more locally acquired Zika infections, both in Miami-Dade County. One is linked to an active transmission area in Miami Beach. The other is linked to the Wynwood active transmission area north of downtown and involves a patient who was sick in July. Florida Health said it just received CDC results to rule out other mosquito-borne illnesses. The new cases lift Florida's local Zika case total to 49. Also today the state reported 7 more travel related cases, boosting that number to 576. In international developments, Singapore's health ministry reported 31 more local cases, including 3 that aren't part of already noted clusters. One of the newly identified Zika infections is in a pregnant woman, the second such case to be reported in as many days. Singapore's health ministry doesn't list a case total, but the new reports today presumably lift the number of cases to 146. In a related development, Malaysia today announced its first Zika case, involving a 58-year-old woman who had visited Singapore on Aug 19, according to Channel News Asia report that cited comments from health minister Dr Subramaniam Sathasivam, who spoke at a press conference. The woman's daughter, who lives in Singapore, is also infected with the Zika virus, according to the report. CDC: 199 more pregnant women infected The CDC said today in its weekly update on Zika case numbers that 199 more infections in pregnant women have been detected, 159 of them from the US territories. Overall, 624 pregnant women from US states have been infected and 971 pregnant women with Zika from the territories have been reported. No additional Zika-related pregnancy outcomes were reported for the states or territories. The numbers remained at 16 babies born with Zika-related birth defects in the states, along with 5 pregnancy losses. For the territories, the total remained at 1 baby born with birth defects and 1 Zika-linked pregnancy loss. Also, the CDC reported 199 more travel-linked Zika cases in US states, putting the overall total at 2,686. In the US territories, the number of local Zika cases soared by 5,091 cases to 14,059, most of them in Puerto Rico, which over the past several weeks has been experiencing a surge in infections. Guinea-Bissau lineage findings, Takeda vaccine contract Initial genetic sequencing of four Zika samples from Guinea-Bissau suggests that they belong to the African lineage, the WHO said today in its weekly Zika update. Health officials have raised concerns about whether the illnesses there represent an expansion of the America's outbreak into Africa. The WHO's Zika emergency committee met today by teleconference, and the WHO will release the outcome of the deliberations tomorrow in a media telebriefing. Takeda Pharmaceuticals, based in Japan, announced today that the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA), part of the US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), has selected its vaccine unit to develop an inactivated, adjuvanted whole-virus Zika vaccine. The $19.8 million contract will cover development through phase 1 testing and could total $312 million if BARDA exercises an option to take the vaccine through phase 3 trials and licensing. See also: Sep 1 FDACS press release Sep 1 Florida Health daily Zika update Sep 1 Singapore health ministry statement Sep 1 Channel News Asia story Sep 1 CDC update from Zika pregnancy registries Sep 1 CDC update on Zika-affected pregnancies and births Sep 1 CDC state and territory Zika case counts http://www.cidrap.umn.edu/news-perspective/2016/09/mosquitoes-miami-beach-test-positive-zika Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
niman Posted September 2, 2016 Author Report Share Posted September 2, 2016 First mosquitoes carrying Zika detected in US AFP•September 2, 2016 View photos A mosquito control worker looks for larvae of the Zika-carrying Aedes aegypti mosquito in Miami, Florida (AFP Photo/Rhona Wise) More Miami (AFP) - Tests have found the Zika virus in mosquitoes from Miami, the first detected on continental United States, confirming local transmission of the disease, the Florida authorities said. Three mosquitoes were taken from the tourist hotspot Miami Beach, where cases of locally transmitted Zika were previously reported. "This is disappointing but not surprising," Florida agriculture commissioner Adam Putnam said in a statement Thursday. "Florida is among the best (states) in the nation when it comes to mosquito surveillance and control, and this detection enables us to continue to effectively target our resources," he added. Health officials reported the first cases of locally transmitted Zika in Miami Beach in mid-August. The virus, which causes birth defects, was detected in a neighborhood north of downtown called Wynwood earlier in July. It has also been found in the Florida counties of Palm Beach, north of Miami, and Pinellas, near Tampa. Zika causes only mild symptoms for most people. But in pregnant women, it can cause microcephaly, a deformation in which babies are born with abnormally small brains and heads. The disease has also been linked to a potentially fatal disorder known as Guillain-Barre syndrome, which can lead to nervous system problems such as weakness and paralysis. Zika is spread by mosquitoes and sexual contact. The authorities have issued an advisory for pregnant women warning of travel to designated active transmission zones in Florida. The state has so far identified 49 cases of people who contracted the virus locally, the Florida health department says. It reported another 656 cases brought in by people infected while traveling abroad, mainly areas of Latin America where the virus is spreading. Those numbers include a total of 80 pregnant women affected so far in Florida. https://www.yahoo.com/news/first-mosquitoes-carrying-zika-detected-us-104140117.html Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
View photos A mosquito control worker looks for larvae of the Zika-carrying Aedes aegypti mosquito in Miami, Florida (AFP Photo/Rhona Wise) More
niman Posted September 2, 2016 Author Report Share Posted September 2, 2016 Following Confirmation of Zika in Mosquitoes, Gov. Scott Directs DOH to Aggressively Expand Zika Prevention Efforts On September 1, 2016, in News Releases, by Staff TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – Today, the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (DACS) confirmed that they have detected Zika in three mosquito samples in a small area of Miami Beach within the current zone of local transmission. (See map below for zone of active transmission in Miami Beach.) More than 42,400 mosquitoes have been tested across the state, and this is the only location where mosquitoes have tested positive in Florida. The Florida Department of Health (DOH) still believes ongoing active transmission is only occurring within the two small identified areas in Miami-Dade County- a less than 1.5 square mile area in Miami Beach and a half a mile area in Wynwood. Governor Scott said, “Today, we learned of the first mosquitoes that have tested positive for the Zika virus in our state. DACS has only found three mosquito samples out of the more than 42,400 individual mosquitoes that have been tested across the state. These mosquitoes were trapped in the small area in Miami Beach where we believe local transmission has been occurring. The CDC is performing an additional test to verify that this is Zika and to identify the strain of the virus. “Following this news, I have directed DOH to aggressively expand testing and outreach efforts in the areas around the traps that caught the positive mosquitoes. DOH has been on the ground since the first confirmed case of non-travel related Zika in Miami Beach, and they will continue to go door-to-door to educate residents on how to best protect their families and homes from mosquitoes. DBPR has also provided more than 700 hotels and restaurants in Miami Beach with educational materials on Zika prevention and preparedness as well as contact information to receive no cost mosquito spraying. While DOH has already been delivering helpful resources like bug spray and Zika prevention kits to pregnant women in the area, today I directed them to begin working with Florida international airports to voluntarily provide bug repellant for travelers returning from countries that are experiencing outbreaks of the Zika virus. “The CDC has recommended aerial spraying on Miami Beach via helicopter, and we have seen the effectiveness of aerial spraying in the Wynwood area. DOH has made available resources to Miami-Dade County to immediately conduct aerial spraying in Miami Beach. I also directed DOH to work with the commercial pest control companies they have already sent to the Miami Beach area to further increase spraying and abatement efforts. “While DACS will continue to work with local mosquito control to spray for mosquitoes, everyone must do their part by wearing bug repellent and dumping standing water- no matter how small. These efforts helped us clear almost the entire perimeter of the original zone in Wynwood where we now have 76 total blocks with no evidence of ongoing active transmission. We have also gone almost 30 days since the last case of Zika infection in the remaining Wynwood area, which is great news. The Wynwood community has done an incredible job of working together to prevent the spread of this virus and serves as an example of how important it is to be proactive and dump standing water, especially as our state is preparing for Hurricane Hermine. We must all continue to stay vigilant in the fight against the Zika virus so we can keep Florida’s communities, families and visitors safe.” Based on today’s announcement from DACS, the Governor has directed DOH to begin the following new activities to protect residents and visitors from Zika: DOH will begin working with Florida international airports to provide bug repellant for travelers returning from countries that are experiencing outbreaks of the Zika virus. Each airport will decide how to ensure bug repellent is made available for travelers. DOH will intensify ongoing outreach efforts in Miami Beach and will expand testing in the areas around the traps that caught the positive mosquitoes. DOH has already been leading a targeted door-to-door campaign to test individuals for the Zika virus on Miami Beach. Per the CDC’s recommendation, DOH has made available resources to Miami-Dade County to immediately conduct aerial spraying in Miami Beach when the weather is favorable. Aerial spraying via helicopter has been recommended by the CDC and has been effective in the Wynwood area. DOH will work with contracted commercial pest control companies already in the Miami Beach area to further increase spraying, especially liquid larvicide spraying, and other abatement efforts to assist with local mosquito control. STATE OF FLORIDA (Original Wynwood perimeter included for reference. Smaller shaded area in Wynwood remains under investigation.) MIAMI-DADE COUNTY (Original zone perimeter included for reference. Smaller shaded area in Wynwood remains under investigation.) ### http://www.flgov.com/2016/09/01/following-confirmation-of-zika-in-mosquitoes-gov-scott-directs-doh-to-aggressively-expand-zika-prevention-efforts/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
niman Posted September 6, 2016 Author Report Share Posted September 6, 2016 Media Contact: Michael Hernández[email protected]305-375-1545 Statement from Mayor Carlos A. Gimenez regarding continued mosquito control efforts in Miami Beach MIAMI (September 06, 2016) — Miami-Dade County's Mosquito Control team continues to monitor the number of mosquitoes found in traps throughout the County. As it has been from the beginning, our goal is to reduce the cycle of Zika transmission by reducing the number of mosquitoes. Over the weekend, the number of mosquitoes found in traps in the 1.5-square-mile area in Miami Beach where mosquitoes have tested positive for Zika has increased. Despite the increase, it is important to note that all subsequent test results from mosquitoes in the same three trap locations have been negative for Zika. In order to continue our aggressive and proactive mosquito-control surveillance, monitoring and response, I, in consultation with Governor Rick Scott’s Office, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Florida Department of Health and the Department of Agriculture, have directed Miami-Dade County Mosquito Control to begin four cycles of adulticide aerial spraying using EPA-approved naled in the 1.5-square-mile area where mosquitoes have tested positive for Zika. Weather permitting, the aerial spraying will begin Thursday at approximately 5 a.m. for the next four weeks and will be completed within a half hour. We will keep the number of adulticide missions to a minimum on school days, and parents may prefer to keep students indoors until 6:30 a.m. following aerial spraying. Due to the unique topography, high-rise buildings and construction sites on Miami Beach, at this time, we will focus our aerial spraying only on adulticide treatment and larvicide application on the ground by truck or by hand during inspections. This treatment differs slightly from the larvicide treatment we were able to perform both aerially and on the ground in the area north of downtown Miami where local transmission was first identified. This morning, Miami-Dade County Mosquito Control also began an innovative ground-control larvicide treatment in Miami Beach using trucks equipped with Buffalo Turbines. As far as we know, Miami-Dade is one of the first counties in the nation to use this state-of-the-art equipment using EPA-approved Bti to target breeding areas and reduce the mosquito population. The truck sprayings will also take place over the next four weeks during early morning hours. The truck spraying events will be west of Washington Avenue between the hours of 2 a.m. and 6 a.m., and east of Washington Avenue between the hours of 5 a.m. and 6 a.m., approximately every seven days. I thank City of Miami Beach leaders for their ongoing collaboration as we continue to work to reduce the mosquito population, both aerially and on the ground. Miami-Dade County is fully mobilized and we continue our proactive and aggressive response to reducing the Aedes Aegypti mosquito population. Prevention is the most important tool in our arsenal to keep our community safe from the Zika virus. Therefore, we continue to ask all residents and visitors to do their part to keep our community safe by draining standing water, wearing clothing that covers the skin and applying mosquito repellant when going outdoors, especially during early morning and evening hours. http://www.miamidade.gov/releases/2016-09-06-mayor-statement-mosquito-control-mb.asp Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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