Florida Gov. Rick Scott (R) made the announcement following a state health department investigation into four suspected cases in Miami-Dade and Broward counties. Scott said transmission was confined to a small neighborhood just north of downtown Miami and involved one woman and three men.
“We learned today that four people in our state likely have the Zika virus as a result of a mosquito bite," he said during a news conference. "All four of these people live in Miami-Dade and Broward counties, and the Florida Department of Health believes that active transmissions of this virus could be occurring in one small area in Miami."
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which has been closely coordinating with Florida and sent a medical epidemiologist at the state's request, made a similar announcement a short time later that left no doubt about the genesis of the cases.
"These are the first cases of locally transmitted Zika virus in the continental United States," CDC Director Tom Frieden said in a news briefing Friday. "As we have anticipated, Zika is now here."
Frieden praised state officials for responding rapidly with aggressive mosquito-control measures and a community-wide search for additional Zika cases. Because the virus can have devastating consequences for a fetus, the CDC recommends that pregnant women or women thinking about becoming pregnant postpone travel to Zika-affected regions. However, Frieden said no travel limitations in this country are currently warranted.
"We don’t expect widespread transmission in the continental United States," he said. "That is not the situation we're in today."
But if more people become infected despite ongoing mosquito-control measures, "this would be concerning and warrant further advice and action." The CDC will reassess daily and revise its recommendations accordingly, he said.
The infections occurred in early July in a several-block radius of Miami's Wynwood neighborhood, a popular restaurant and entertainment area. The individuals became sick a week later and were diagnosed a few days after that. Strong evidence suggests that at least two of the people were bitten at work sites near each other in that area, Frieden said.
Lyle Petersen, who is managing the CDC's Zika response, said the agency expects "there may be additional cases of ‘homegrown’ Zika in the coming weeks."
Scott said state officials continue to "put every resource available into fighting the spread of Zika in our state," adding that Florida has been preparing for this type of situation for months, much in the way it prepares for hurricanes.
"We know this virus is most detrimental to expecting mothers," he said. "If you are pregnant or thinking of becoming pregnant and live in the impacted area, I urge you to contact your OB/GYN for guidance and to receive a Zika prevention kit. I also ask every Floridian to take proper precautions by eliminating any standing water and wearing insect repellent."
[Without federal funding, counties brace for Zika on their own]
The announcement had been expected since officials revealed a week ago that they were investigating a case of non-travel-related infection. They subsequently acknowledged an additional case in Miami-Dade County and two more suspected cases in neighboring Broward County. Frieden said Friday that all four individuals were infected in Wynwood but that two live in Broward County.
No mosquitoes have yet tested positive for the virus, though. Frieden explained that confirming infections in mosquitoes is much harder than confirming them in people -- which is why there can be local transmission even in the absence of positive insect tests.
Celeste Philip, the state's surgeon general and health department secretary, said officials have been successful in limiting transmission of similar viruses carried by the same mosquito species in the past and expect they will do so for Zika.
"We believe at this time, the likelihood of ongoing transmission is low," she said.
Yet the risk of a local Zika outbreak prompted the Food and Drug Administration on Wednesday to direct all blood collection centers in Miami-Dade, Broward and surrounding areas to stop accepting donations until the blood can be tested for the virus.
Source :https://www.washingtonpost.com/
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