The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has extended its travel warning for pregnant women to one area within Miami, as 14 people there have contracted Zika virus after being bitten by virus-carrying mosquitos locally. The first four cases were reported July 29, but that number more than tripled in just three days. Florida is the first state to report local transmission of Zika via mosquito. The CDC maintains there is no evidence of widespread virus transmission at this time, but dispatched an emergency response team to help investigate the Miami outbreak, collect Zika virus samples, and control mosquitos. It also reiterated past warnings that women who are pregnant should avoid unnecessary travel to any area where Zika virus has been found. Pregnant women who have visited such areas should be tested for the virus, which is known to cause birth defects, most notably microcephaly. Women and men considering pregnancy should wait eight weeks before trying to conceive if they’ve been in any area where the virus has been found. The Miami occurrences have already garnered international attention; Public Health England has added “affected areas” in Florida to its list of travel destinations that pregnant women should avoid visiting due to “moderate” risk.
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Zika Mosquitos Make Landfall in Florida