Florida Zika Virus Numbers Rise

TALLAHASSEE, FL — As national lawmakers work to free up money to fight the mosquito-borne Zika virus, the state of Florida has announced its number of confirmed cases has climbed to 18, up from a total of 16 reported on Wednesday.

The new figure was released by Dr. John Armstrong, the state’s surgeon general, Thursday afternoon. All cases, Armstrong said, are travel-related. That means none of those affected have contracted the virus within the Sunshine State itself.

Confirmed cases have been reported in residents in the following counties:

• Hillsborough – 3
• Broward – 2
• Lee – 3
• Miami-Dade – 7
• Osceola – 1
• Santa Rose – 1
• St. Johns – 1

The state currently has the capacity to test 5,104 people for active Zika virus and also has 1,418 kits to test for Zika virus antibodies, Armstrong said. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is also scheduled to host a conference call with healthcare providers from around the state to discuss the virus, how it’s spread, treatments and proper precautions, Armstrong noted in a daily update on the state’s response to the virus.

Florida has declared a public health emergency in the seven counties where residents have tested positive for travel-associated cases of Zika. That declaration will “be updated as needed,” Armstrong noted.

On the national level, the CDC has activated its emergency operations center to a “Level 1” status, its highest. The only other times in recent history the center has activated at Level 1 status include the 2014 Ebola outbreak, the H1N1 pandemic in 2009 and during the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina in 2005.

The CDC’s activation status was announced Monday. The move is meant to reflect “the agency’s assessment of the need for an accelerated preparedness to bring together experts to focus intently and work efficiently in anticipation of local Zika virus transmission by mosquitoes in the Continental U.S.,” the CDC said in a statement.

See Also:

• Florida Zika Cases Rise As Obama Asks For Funding
• First Zika Case Transmitted In U.S. Reported In Texas
• Zika Virus Information Floridians Need To Know
• Ebola Funds May Help Combat Zika

The U.S. House of Representatives is also floating a bill that would make an estimated $1.4 billion left over from the country’s Ebola virus response available for fighting Zika.

Zika is a mosquito-borne illness that is characterized by a fever, rash and joint pain. According to the state, only about one out of five people infected with Zika are symptomatic. While the illness typically resolves within a week, some severe cases may require hospitalization.

It is especially dangerous for pregnant women. Several reports have linked Zika in mothers with microcephaly in infants. That condition, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says, is a potentially life-threatening birth defect where a baby’s head is smaller than expected.

Aside from mosquitoes, Zika can be spread through sexual contact in some cases, the CDC notes.

While Florida’s cases to date have originated through foreign travel, the state urges residents and visitors to protect themselves from mosquitoes.

“We encourage Florida residents and visitors to protect themselves from all mosquito-borne illnesses by draining standing water; covering their skin with repellent and clothing; covering windows with screens; and other basic precautions included in ‘drain and cover,’” Brad Dalton, Florida Department of Health deputy press secretary, told Patch.

Photo courtesy of the CDC/James Gathany