A second case of Zika virus
possibly acquired locally is being investigated in Florida, just days
after the first potential case was announced in Miami, officials said
Thursday. Until now, there have been hundreds of cases of Zika virus in Florida
but all involved people who were infected while traveling to areas
where the mosquito-borne virus is spreading. If confirmed, the Florida infections would mark the arrival of the homegrown virus on the US continent for the first time. Zika can be spread by mosquito bites or by sexual contact, and can cause birth defects if women are infected while pregnant. "The Florida Department of Health announced that it is conducting an
epidemiological investigation into a possible non-travel related case of
Zika virus in Broward County," said a statement, referring to the
county just north of Miami, which includes Fort Lauderdale and
Hollywood.
Health officials are working with
"mosquito control to ensure trapping, reduction and prevention
activities are conducted in the area of investigation," the department
added. The department urged people living in the area and visiting to respond to requests for blood and urine samples. "These results will help the department determine the number of people affected," it said. Regarding the possible non-travel case of Zika in Miami-Dade county, a
health department spokeswoman told AFP the investigation is ongoing,
and that sexual transmission "related to travel has not been ruled out." Few other details have been released about that possible case, which
was first announced Tuesday. The Zika infection has been confirmed, but
the mode of transmission has not. As of Thursday, mosquitoes in the Miami area have tested negative for Zika, the spokeswoman added.
Zika virus has spread through
dozens of countries in Latin America. One way it could arrive in the
United States is if a person who was infected with Zika while traveling
elsewhere comes into the country and is bitten by a mosquito, which then
bears Zika and bites another person, spreading the infection. As of mid-July, there have been 1,306 cases of Zika in the continental United States,
nearly all involving people who had traveled to areas in Latin America
and the Caribbean basin that are affected by the current outbreak. Fourteen of the cases were transmitted by sexual contact between those who had traveled and their US-based partners. Earlier this week, a case emerged in Utah in which a caregiver
appeared to have been infected by an elderly patient, though the exact
route of transmission remains unknown.
About
| Zika virus
Photo: AP
The
most common symptoms of the Zika disease are fever, rash, joint pain,
and conjunctivitis (red eyes), usually lasting from several days to a
week, and most patients don't need hospitalisation. However the outbreak
in Brazil has led to instances of Guillain-Barre syndrome and pregnant
women giving birth to babies with birth defects
How it spreads
Through mosquitoes, which mostly spread the virus during the day
Through sexual transmission
Mosquitoes also spread dengue and chikungunya viruses
There is no vaccine
How to prevent it
Avoid getting mosquito bites by using insect repellants, and wearing long-sleeved shirts and trousers
Use air conditioning and/or a window screen to keep mosquitoes outside
Sleep under a mosquito bed net
Reduce the number of mosquitoes by emptying standing water from containers such as flowerpots or bucket
Source: Centres for Disease Control and Prevention
Zika is a concern because if a pregnant woman is
infected, she faces a higher risk of bearing a child with microcephaly,
in which the skull and brain are malformed and smaller than normal. President Barack Obama spoke by phone with Florida Governor Rick
Scott on Wednesday and said the US Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention would be sending another $5.6 million to Florida for Zika
funding, in addition to $2 million in federal funds the southern state
has already received.
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