Zika in Broward County: Total number of infections moves to 21
One new case of Zika virus infection has been confirmed in Broward County, according to reports. This brings the total number of infections of Zika in Broward County to 21, with 7 in Miami-Dade County and 4 in Broward.
None of the cases, however, have been contracted locally, exclusively affecting residents who recently traveled to zika outbreak regions in the Caribbean and South America.
Governor Rick Scott directed Health Dr. Armstrong to activate a Zika virus information hotline for Broward and Florida residents and visitors. The hotline can be reached at 1-855-622-6735.
Scott said each case is travel-related and none of the infected are pregnant women. Armstrong urges Floridians, especially those in Broward County, to drain standing water weekly, no matter how small. A couple of drops of water in a bottle cap can be a breeding location for mosquitoes.
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Armstrong said residents and visitors also need to use repellents when enjoying the Florida outdoors.
Zika Virus, also known as Zika Fever, often causes no or only mild symptoms, similar to a mild form of Dengue fever. Since the 1950s, it has been known to occur within locations among Africa and Asia. In 2014, the virus spread eastward across the Pacific Ocean to French Polynesia, then to Easter Island, and in 2015 to Mexico, Central America, the Caribbean, and South America, where the Zika virus outbreak has now reached epic proportions.
There is no cure for the Zika Virus. As of February 2016, there is evidence that Zika fever in pregnant women can cause abnormal brain development in their fetuses by mother-to-child transmission, called microcephaly. It is still to be determined if the Zika virus does in fact cause microcphaly.
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It has now been reported that Broward County has at least 21 cases of infection. It is feared that with the recent rainfall and weather conditions in Broward, the state is more at risk for the breeding of the mosquitos carrying the virus — the Aedis aegypti mosquito.
