Florida reported a new homegrown case of Zika virus Wednesday, this one in Palm Beach County.
The state’s now running 10 different investigations into 43 local cases of Zika infection, including two outbreaks: one in Miami and one in Miami Beach. On Tuesday, a case was reported on Florida’s Gulf coast.
It’s not a surprise that Florida has cases of Zika. The Aedes mosquitoes that spread the virus thrive in the warm, humid state almost year-round, and Florida has many travellers back and forth from the badly affected countries in Latin America and the Caribbean.
But the appearance of so many cases in such a short time is worrying for a state that relies heavily on tourists, and the governor’s office has been in heavy damage-control mode, stressing mosquito control efforts.
Florida now has 43 homegrown cases of Zika virus infection and another 523 cases brought in by travellers. Seventy of the patients are pregnant women.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention cautions pregnant women or those who may become pregnant to stay away from areas with widespread Zika infection. The virus causes devastating birth defects when a pregnant woman is infected.
