Bring total to 109 confirmed cases in Florida
Two new cases of the zika virus have been confirmed in Miami-Dade County, announced by state health officials. The new cases bring the grand total to 109 confirmed cases of the virus in Florida.
Miami-Dade has received the brunt of infections with 44 cases – all which were transmitted by residents who recently traveled to the Caribbean and South America, and were not domestic transacted. So far, Broward County also has 15 reported cases in total.
As the rainy season approaches in South Florida, Governor Rick Scott heads to Washington D.C. this week to lobby congress for support in combating the virus. Governor Scott also plans to meet with several state officials to discuss prevention strategies for the state, including Celeste Philip, a physician and interim state surgeon general; Wayne Gale, director of the Lee County Mosquito Control District; and Bryan Koon, director of the state’s Division of Emergency Management. In addition, U.S. Senator for South Florida Marco Rubio is calling on Congress to approve President Barack Obama’s request for $1.9 billion in emergency funding to combat the Zika virus.
Meanwhile, the Center of Disease Control (CDC) has updated its guidance recommending that state health officials use blood and urine tests for identifying acute Zika virus disease. This follow recent research from the Florida health department showing that urine samples more accurately detect the virus than other testing methods.
So far, the CDC has reported 472 Zika virus infections in total in the continental U.S. as of May 4. Of the 109 zika virus cases confirmed in Florida, seven are pregnant women, who are considered to be at greatest risk from the Zika virus because of an established link between the virus and congenital microcephaly, a condition in which a newborn’s head is smaller than expected, which can lead to developmental issues.
