The Florida Department of Health announced two new non-travel-related cases of Zika in Miami-Dade, Tuesday.
In a press release, FDOH announced, “One is associated with the Miami Beach investigation and the other is a Miami-Dade County resident, and the department is investigating where exposure occurred.”
One of the travel-related cases involves a pregnant woman, although FDOH did not announce where.
The department reminded the public that, “One case does not mean ongoing active transmission is taking place. DOH conducts a thorough investigation by sampling close contacts and community members around each case to determine if additional people are infected. If DOH finds evidence that active transmission is occurring in an area, the media and the public will be notified.”
So far, a total of 171 locally transmitted cases of the Zika virus have been discovered in Florida, according to the CDC.
The latest Zika zone is located in the City of Miami and includes Little River, Little Haiti and Liberty City. The boundaries are between Northwest 10th Avenue and Miami Avenue and between Northwest 79th Street and 63rd Street. It was announced on Oct. 12, by the governor’s office.
On Aug. 19, a 1.5 square mile area in Miami Beach, was determined to be a Zika hot zone. That area was eventually expanded to approximately 4.5 square miles.
The first U.S. hot zone for locally transmitted cases of Zika was identified in the Wynwood neighborhood of Miami, in late July. It has since been declared free of the virus.
The mosquito-borne illness is especially dangerous for pregnant women and has been linked to serious birth defects. The CDC has issued a travel advisory for pregnant women to avoid the Zika hot Zones in Miami-Dade County.
If a mosquito carrying Zika does bite, it can take up to two weeks to cause symptoms like:
fever
headache
skin rash
joint pain
conjunctivitis, which causes red, irritated eyes
The State Surgeon General has activated a 24-hour Zika hotline in Florida to answer questions and concerns. That number is 855-622-6735.
Pregnant women can receive a free test at the Health District Center, located at 1350 N.W. 14th St. in Miami. For more information, call 305-324-2400.
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