MIAMI (WSVN) - While Wynwood continues to be the area where the Zika virus is being spread, officials said their eradication efforts are making a significant dent in the area’s mosquito population.
According to the CDC, officials were discovering 25 female mosquitoes per trap when they first began spraying pesticide.
Now, they are finding only one mosquito per trap. This is a 96 percent decrease in mosquitoes since the ground and aerial spraying started.
In a new development, Tuesday, the CDC announced there are two “businesses” that cause concern in Wynwood. They call them “Business 1” and “Business 2” due to privacy concerns. Therefore, they are still urging all pregnant woman to avoid the Wynwood area.
In a meeting, Tuesday, Miami-Dade Mayor Carlos Gimenez said protecting pregnant women continues to be of the utmost importance for South Florida.
“We’ve been constantly harping on personal responsibility of every citizen here to protect pregnant women and their babies, because this is the significant threat of Zika,” said Gimenez. “Eighty percent of the people that get it don’t even know they had it. It’s very mild, but it’s devastating to pregnant women and their babies.”
Gimenez added that out of the thousands of mosquitoes that have been caught, not one has tested positive for the Zika virus.
Furthermore, Miami-Dade County will begin treating all 150,000 storm drains with chemicals to stop the mosquito breeding process from happening inside the drains. The mayor said they may even have to hire temporary help to get to all 150,000 drains.
Government officials urge all pregnant women in Florida to be tested for the Zika virus. Pregnant women or women who think they may be pregnant can do that for free at any health clinic or by visiting the Miami-Dade Health Dept / Downtown STD Clinic at 1350 N.W. 14 St. to be tested for free.
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