Three More Zika Confirmed Cases In Florida

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Three More Zika Confirmed Cases In Florida, including Broward County.

http://www.orlandosentinel.com/health/os-rick-scott-zika-virus-20160204-story.html

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Scott adds Broward to Zika emergency order

TAMPA — Florida Gov. Rick Scott said Thursday the state has three new cases of Zika and he's adding a fifth county — Broward in South Florida — to his health emergency declaration.

At a news conference in Tampa, Scott said the 12 cases in Florida are all from people who became infected with the mosquito-borne virus when they traveled to other countries.

Florida's warm climate, year-round mosquitoes and revolving door of international travelers make it vulnerable, but local governments have a history of fighting off similar viruses.

On Wednesday, Scott signed the emergency order to cover Miami-Dade, Lee, Hillsborough and Santa Rosa counties.

 

Scott says the state is preparing like it would for a hurricane and wants residents and tourists to know Florida is safe.

He asked the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for 1,000 kits to test for Zika antibodies, on top of about 500 the state already has.

http://www.orlandosentinel.com/health/os-rick-scott-zika-virus-20160204-story.html

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Map update

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Florida Zika Virus cases rise to 12; mosquito that carries virus common in state

WFLA Web StaffPublished: February 4, 2016, 11:49 am  Updated: February 4, 2016, 3:44 pm

TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) — The number of Florida residents diagnosed with the Zika Virus has grown from 9 to 12, Florida Governor Rick Scott said on Thursday afternoon. One of the additional cases is in Hillsborough County, bringing the total number of Hillsborough cases to three.

Scott and State Surgeon General Dr. John Armstrong held a news conference at the Hillsborough County Health Department in Tampa to update Florida citizens about the state’s preparedness efforts.

“My responsibility as governor is to keep people safe,” said Scott.

Scott also announced on Thursday that the number of Florida counties with residents diagnosed with the virus has grown to five. Broward was added to the list of counties. Scott declared a health emergency Wednesday in Miami-Dade, Lee, Hillsborough and Santa Rosa counties.

Governor Scott on Thursday said he is asking Surgeon General Dr. John Armstrong to amend the declaration of public health emergency to include Broward County.

Just this week a second person in Hillsborough County was diagnosed with the Zika Virus. All of those diagnosed are believed to have contracted the virus while traveling outside of the U.S., none are pregnant women.

Scott emphasized the need for everyone to be prepared, from residents to agencies. He said the Zika preparation process is similar to that of hurricanes. “We’re preparing for the worst and hoping for the best.”

“We are working with the CDC to get everything we need,” he added. “We are doing everything we can to prepare.”

Armstrong said that the state of Florida will use two types of tests to diagnose the Zika Virus. One test determines if a person has the active virus. The second, an antibody test, determines if a person has had the Zika virus.

Scott has asked the CDC to provide at least 1,000 Zika antibody tests so the state can test individuals, especially pregnant women and new mothers, who have traveled to affected areas and had symptoms of Zika. The antibody test allows the state to see if individuals ever had the Zika virus. Florida currently has the capacity to test only 475 people. Scott also authorized the Department of Health to immediately purchase 4,000 more Zika antibody tests to ensure the state has the resources to quickly respond.

During Thursday’s news conference, Scott also said that the mosquito that carries the Zika Virus is common in Florida. He urged Floridians to avoid contact with mosquitoes by putting screens up, getting rid of standing water and using bug repellent.

Scott is asking Florida’s Department of Agriculture to find out how much funding is available for mosquito control.

He said the preparation process for the Zika Virus is similar to that of hurricanes. “We’re preparing for the worst and hoping for the best.”

The Zika virus is linked to brain deformities in babies and is causing concern among public health officials worldwide. The virus is primarily spread through mosquito bites, but investigators had been exploring the possibility it could be sexually transmitted.

http://wfla.com/2016/02/04/florida-governor-surgeon-general-to-discuss-zika-readiness-thursday-in-tampa/

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Broward gets first Zika case, declared a public health emergency area

The Zika virus is transmitted by the Aedes aegypti mosquito, the same one responsible for chikungunya and dengue fever cases.

 (Danny_Omar / Getty Images/iStockphoto)

Diane C. LadeContact ReporterSouth Florida Sun-Sentinel

First Broward Zika patient infected with mosquito-borne virus while in another country, officials say.

 

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Florida is on alert as yet another county — this time, Broward — has a confirmed case of the Zika virus.

Along with Miami-Dade, which has five cases, Broward on Thursday joined the list of five Florida counties under a declaration of public health emergency issued by Gov. Rick Scott. Hillsborough, Lee and Santa Rosa counties also have confirmed cases.

The declaration means that the affected counties' health, government and tourism officials must put together and execute an action plan to protect residents and prevent Zika's spread.

Though no Zika cases have been reported in Palm Beach County, health officials there say they continue to closely monitor epidemiological reports and do prevention education.

 

Florida Department of Health spokeswoman Mara Gambineri said the Broward patient was infected with the mosquito-borne virus while in another country. None of Florida's 12 cases have been locally acquired, she said.

Zika virus: Latest news and updates

The virus is transmitted by the Aedes aegypti mosquito, the same one responsible for chikungunya and dengue fever cases. Zika causes fairly mild symptoms when contracted by healthy adults but has been linked to severe prenatal birth defects if pregnant women become infected.

None of Florida's cases involve pregnant women, Gambineri said.

The Broward County Medical Association is gathering information and "will keep our constituency up to date as it comes out," said president Dr. David Perloff, a cardiologist at Broward Health. "It is something we need to jump on. It poses a risk to all citizens, especially to pregnant women and their unborn children."

In a statement, Scott called on the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to send at least an additional 1,000 Zika antibody test kits, as the state has only 475. He said he wants the CDC to train hospital workers in properly diagnosing and treating patients.

"With over 20 million residents and 100 million tourists, we must stay ahead of the possible spread of the Zika virus and take immediate action to ensure Florida is prepared," Scott said in his statement.

Zika has been rapidly spreading through Central America, South America and the Caribbean — in countries where many South Floridians travel frequently. The CDC has advised pregnant women, or women thinking about becoming pregnant, to postpone trips to 30 countries, including Brazil, Jamaica, Colombia, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Haiti, the Dominican Republic and Venezuela.

There is no vaccine or specific treatment for the disease. Common symptoms, which occur in one of about every five people infected, include fever, rash and conjunctivitis.

Just hearing the word "Zika" is enough to set some South Floridians on edge.Broward County's Division of Highway and Bridge Maintenance, responsible for mosquito control, was flooded with 80 to 100 calls on Thursday, said division director Anh Ton.

"Most were just requesting information about what to do," he said.

Tips from health officials include: Use mosquito repellent; wear long-sleeved shirts and long pants; use window screens or air conditioning to keep mosquitoes outdoors; and empty standing water from pots and containers outside.

State guidelines call for heavy mosquito spraying programs in areas with confirmed cases, as an infected patient could spread the virus to the local Aedes mosquito if bitten.

Dengue and chikungunya have not caused widespread outbreaks here in the past, state health officials say.

Speculations as to why have included: that the Aedes mosquito is less common here than in tropical countries; the local Aedes have not yet adapted to be able to carry the virus; and mosquito control is better here.

For the latest updates, call 800-232-4636, or go to cdc.gov.

[email protected] or 954-356-4295

http://www.sun-sentinel.com/health/fl-first-broward-zika-case-20160204-story.html