Florida's Zika Cases Rise Again

TALLAHASSEE, FL — The total number of confirmed Zika virus cases in Florida has climbed to 24. State Surgeon General and Secretary of Health Dr. John Armstrong reported two new cases in the Miami-Dade County area Thursday.

So far, all of the state’s confirmed cases have been linked to travel. The Tampa Bay area has three confirmed cases in Hillsborough County. Residents in other Bay area counties have not been affected by the virus.

To help residents resolve questions about the virus and its spread, the state has set up a Zika Virus Information Hotline. That number is 1-855-622-6735. The state has also declared a public health emergency in all counties where the virus has been confirmed in residents. Those counties are Hillsborough, Alachua, Broward, Lee, Miami-Dade, Osceola, Santa Rosa and St. Johns.

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Zika is a mosquito-borne illness that is characterized by a fever, rash and joint pain. According to the state, only about one out of five people infected with Zika are symptomatic. While the illness typically resolves within a week, some severe cases may require hospitalization.

It is especially dangerous for pregnant women. Several reports have linked Zika in mothers with microcephaly in infants. That condition, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says, is a potentially life-threatening birth defect where a baby’s head is smaller than expected.

Aside from mosquitoes, Zika can be spread through sexual contact in some cases, the CDC notes.

While Florida’s cases to date have originated through foreign travel, the state urges residents and visitors to protect themselves from mosquitoes.

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