Miami

Department of Health Investigating 1st Possible Non-Travel Related Zika Case in Miami-Dade

Some 88 travel-related Zika cases have been confirmed in Miami-Dade

The Florida Department of Health is investigating the first possible non-travel related case of Zika virus in the state, officials said Tuesday.

The case was reported in Miami-Dade County. 

Health officials are investigating alongside the Centers for Disease Control, which said in a statement Tuesday it "has provided Florida more than $2 million in Zika-specific funding and about $27 million in emergency preparedness funding that can be used toward Zika response efforts."

Officials have worked to reduce and prevent mosquito activity in the area. Zika prevention kits and repellent will be distributed to residents and available to pickup.

Some 88 travel-related Zika cases have been confirmed in Miami-Dade, while another 50 cases have been documented in Broward.

On a national level, 1,306 cases were reported in the continental U.S. and Hawaii as of July 13, including 14 believed to have been transmitted sexually. None were contracted locally through mosquitoes, according to the CDC.

The virus is known to be transmitted by bites from infected mosquitoes, sexual contact and blood transfusions. It also can be passed from a mother to a fetus, causing severe birth defects.

The CDC recommends that women who are pregnant or thinking of becoming pregnant postpone travel to Zika-affected areas.

Copyright AP - Associated Press
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