Governor: 14 Florida Zika cases likely caused by mosquito
In this Jan. 27, 2016 file photo, samples of Aedes aegypti mosquitoes, responsible for transmitting dengue and Zika, sit in a petri dish at the Fiocruz Institute in Recife, Pernambuco state, Brazil. On Friday Friday, March 11, 2016, Puerto Rico’s Health Department reported 201 confirmed Zika cases amid warnings the U.S. territory could face an epidemic of the mosquito-borne virus. Officials said Friday that 21 of those cases involve pregnant women. AP FILE PHOTO
MIAMI — Florida Gov. Rick Scott says there are 10 new infections of the Zika virus likely transmitted by mosquitoes, bringing the total in the state to 14.
The new cases are clustered in the same square-mile neighborhood in Miami-Dade County identified last week. Florida health officials said in a news release Monday they believe active transmissions of Zika are occurring only in that area.
U.S. health officials do not expect widespread outbreaks of the sort seen in Brazil and Latin America. Although most people who get Zika don’t know they’re sick, infection during pregnancy can cause babies to be born with small heads and other defects.
More than 1,650 people in the mainland U.S. have been infected with Zika in recent months, nearly all while traveling abroad.
