Zika Cases In Florida Increase To 82

[niman]

http://www.floridahealth.gov/newsroom/2016/04/040616-zika-update.html

County	Number of Cases (all travel related)
Alachua	4
Brevard	2
Broward	12
Clay	1
Collier	1
Hillsborough	3
Lee	3
Miami-Dade	33
Orange	5
Osceola	4
Palm Beach	3
Polk	3
Santa Rosa	1
Seminole	1
St. Johns	1
Cases involving pregnant women*	5
Total	82

*Counties of pregnant women will not be shared.

[niman]

Apri. 6, 2016

DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH DAILY ZIKA UPDATE: TWO NEW TRAVEL-RELATED CASES IN PALM BEACH AND MIAMI-DADE COUNTIES

 

Contact:
Communications Office
[email protected]
(850) 245-4111

Tallahassee, Fla.—In an effort to keep Florida residents and visitors safe and aware about the status of the Zika virus, the Florida Department of Health will issue a Zika virus update each week day at 2 p.m. Updates will include a CDC-confirmed Zika case count by county and information to better keep Floridians prepared.

There are two new travel-related cases with one in Palm Beach County and one in Miami-Dade County. Of the cases confirmed in Florida, six cases are still exhibiting symptoms. According to the CDC, symptoms associated with the Zika virus last between seven to 10 days.

Today, Governor Rick Scott and Interim State Surgeon General Dr. Celeste Philip hosted a conference call with Florida Mosquito Control Districts to discuss ongoing preparations to fight the possible spread of the Zika virus in Florida. There were 74 attendees on the call.

Based on CDC guidance, several pregnant women who have traveled to countries with local-transmission of Zika have received antibody testing, and of those, five have tested positive for the Zika virus. The CDC recommends that a pregnant woman with a history of Zika virus and her provider should consider additional ultrasounds. It is recommended that women who are pregnant or thinking of becoming pregnant postpone travel to Zika affected areas.

County	Number of Cases (all travel related)
Alachua	4
Brevard	2
Broward	12
Clay	1
Collier	1
Hillsborough	3
Lee	3
Miami-Dade	33
Orange	5
Osceola	4
Palm Beach	3
Polk	3
Santa Rosa	1
Seminole	1
St. Johns	1
Cases involving pregnant women*	5
Total	82

*Counties of pregnant women will not be shared.

On Feb. 12, Governor Scott directed the State Surgeon General to activate a Zika Virus Information Hotline for current Florida residents and visitors, as well as anyone planning on traveling to Florida in the near future. The hotline, managed by the Department of Health, has assisted 1,292 callers since it launched. The number for the Zika Virus Information Hotline is 1-855-622-6735.

All cases are travel-associated. There have been no locally-acquired cases of Zika in Florida. For more information on the Zika virus, click here.

The department urges Floridians to drain standing water weekly, no matter how seemingly small. A couple drops of water in a bottle cap can be a breeding location for mosquitoes. Residents and visitors also need to use repellents when enjoying the Florida outdoors.

More Information on DOH action on Zika:

• On Feb. 3, Governor Scott directed the State Surgeon General to issue a Declaration of Public Health Emergency for the counties of residents with travel-associated cases of Zika.

• • The Declaration currently includes the 15 affected counties – Alachua, Brevard, Broward, Clay, Collier, Hillsborough, Lee, Miami-Dade, Orange, Osceola, Palm Beach, Polk, Santa Rosa, Seminole and St. Johns – and will be updated as needed. 
• DOH encourages Florida residents and visitors to protect themselves from all mosquito-borne illnesses by draining standing water; covering their skin with repellent and clothing; and covering windows with screens.
• DOH has a robust mosquito-borne illness surveillance system and is working with the CDC, the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services and local county mosquito control boards to ensure that the proper precautions are being taken to protect Florida residents and visitors.
• Florida currently has the capacity to test 3,897 people for active Zika virus and 1,642 for Zika antibodies.

Federal Guidance on Zika:

• According to the CDC, Zika illness is generally mild with a rash, fever and joint pain. CDC researchers are examining a possible link between the virus and harm to unborn babies exposed during pregnancy.

• The FDA released guidance regarding donor screening, deferral and product management to reduce the risk of transfusion-transmission of Zika virus. Additional information is available on the FDA website here.

• The CDC has put out guidance related to the sexual transmission of the Zika virus. This includes the CDC recommendation that if you have traveled to a country with local transmission of Zika you should abstain from unprotected sex.

For more information on Zika virus, click here.

About the Florida Department of Health

The department, nationally accredited by the Public Health Accreditation Board, works to protect, promote and improve the health of all people in Florida through integrated state, county and community efforts.

Follow us on Twitter at @HealthyFla and on Facebook. For more information about the Florida Department of Health, please visit www.FloridaHealth.gov.

[niman]

Map Update

https://www.google.com/maps/d/u/0/edit?hl=en&hl=en&authuser=0&authuser=0&mid=zv94AJqgUct4.kT4qLMXp3SLU

 

[niman]

Video: Zika virus victim describes bout with disease

 6:31 a.m. Friday, April 8, 2016 | Filed in: Southern PBC

COMMENTS 0



Zika patient speaks out, calls testing stressful

WPTV - West Palm, FL

 

 

 

 

WPTV NewsChannel 5, The Post’s news partner, reported Friday that it has spoken with a Palm Beach County woman who has contracted the Zika virus and worked with doctors at Boca Raton Regional Hospital to treat the disease.

The mosquito-born virus has been linked to microcephaly, a condition resulting in abnormally small heads and brain damage in newborns.

The aedes aegypti mosquito carries the Zika virus and other diseases.

Click here to read the latest breaking news from The Post.

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Florida has 82 cases, the Florida Department of Health said Thursday. That is by far the leader in the U.S., which had 346 cases as of Wednesday, according to the federalCenters for Disease Control and Prevention. Three of those cases are in Palm Beach County.

All of Florida’s cases are related to travel to areas where the disease is rampant, such as South America and the Caribbean. Five of those cases have contracted the virus while pregnant, according to health officials.

The woman, whom WPTV did not identify, told the TV station she contracted the virus while traveling to attend a family funeral in Colombia. Mosquitoes were everywhere, she said.

The woman told WPTV she began having chills and a fever on her way home and then developed a rash.

Doctors at Boca Raton Regional Hospital acknowledged to WPTV that it had treated the woman.

http://www.palmbeachpost.com/news/news/local/report-zika-virus-victim-describes-bout-with-disea/nq2df/

[niman]

Map Update

https://www.google.com/maps/d/u/0/edit?hl=en&hl=en&authuser=0&authuser=0&mid=zv94AJqgUct4.kT4qLMXp3SLU

 

[niman]

Boca Raton woman with Zika virus disappointed in hospital care

LOCAL

By Alexandra Seltzer - Palm Beach Post Staff Writer

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Zika patient speaks out, calls testing stressful

WPTV - West Palm, FL

 

 

Updated: 12:41 p.m. Friday, April 8, 2016  |  Posted: 6:31 a.m. Friday, April 8, 2016

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The sister of a 36-year-old Boca Raton woman who has the Zika virus says she is disappointed in the care she received from Boca Raton Regional Hospital.

Ibana Villasenor says her sister, who asked that her name not be used, first went to the hospital on March 31 and was discharged Monday. She came back Wednesday and was again discharged, she said.

On Thursday, the sister was notified that test results came back positive forZika, which has been linked to microcephaly, a condition resulting in abnormally small heads and brain damage in newborns. She likely contracted the virus during a recent trip to South America.

“Now this is an emergency. What happened before when they tried to release her at the worst state of her illness?” Villasenor told The Palm Beach Post on Friday.

The hospital issued this statement dated April 7 from Charles Posternack, its chief medical officer:

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In this undated file photo provided by the USDA, an aedes aegypti mosquito is shown on human skin.

“This morning, we were informed that a patient who was admitted to our hospital last week and subsequently discharged, has tested positive for the Zika Virus. The hospital was following all appropriate CDC and Palm Beach County Healthguidelines for the appropriate screening of the Zika and other viral diseases. Once confirmed, the results were communicated to one of the Infectious Disease physicians on our medical staff, for follow up in his office.”

The Florida Department of Health on Wednesday said there are three cases of Zika in Palm Beach County. All three have been confirmed in the past week — the first was announced March 30 and the second Tuesday.

So far, there are 82 cases in the state, by far the most in the nation, which had 346 confirmed cases as of Wednesday, according to the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Of those 82 cases in Florida, six are still exhibiting symptoms. Five of the cases involve pregnant women.

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The aedes aegypti mosquito carries the Zika virus and other diseases.

All cases in the country involve people who contracted the virus while traveling outside of the U.S. Villasenor’s sister recently went to Colombia, where she is from, for her grandfather’s funeral. She returned to Boca Raton on March 28 and felt ill.

“Her symptoms were she felt weak and like she was going to pass out,” Villasenor said.

Villasenor said she didn’t want her sister, who doesn’t have health insurance, to be released. Throughout the past several days, her sister has felt so weak that she couldn’t open a water bottle. She’s been exhausted and dehydrated, Villasenor said.

“Why didn’t they just let her stay in the hospital until they knew what type of virus there was?” she said.

Villasenor also questioned why it took so long for the test results to come back.

The hospital follows CDC protocol and Florid Department of Health guidelines, spokeswoman Alexandra Schilling said.

http://www.mypalmbeachpost.com/news/news/local/report-zika-virus-victim-describes-bout-with-disea/nq2df/

 

“I want them to have better protocols. Doctors have to have training in this. This is a disease that’s going to be very common,” Villasenor said.

The state has created a hotline for questions about the Zika virus at 850-245-4111.