13 New Zika Virus Cases Confirmed in Florida

Tampa Bay, FL — Florida’s total number of confirmed travel-related Zika virus cases rose to 276 on Monday with the announcement of 13 new incidents across the state.

According to the Florida Department of Health, two new cases in Polk County brought the Tampa Bay area’s total to 24. Polk County has eight confirmed cases to date. In the Bay area, Hillsborough and Pinellas counties have six confirmed cases each, and Pasco County has four. No cases have been reported in Manatee or Sarasota counties to date.

The remaining 11 new cases confirmed on Monday involve residents in Broward, Miami-Dade, Osceola, Alachua, Orange, Palm Beach and St. Lucie counties. Of the 276 confirmed cases statewide, 43 involve pregnant women.

The confirmation of 13 cases in one day is the biggest so far in Florida. Last week, 11 new cases were reported in a single day.

The CDC has confirmed that the virus is responsible for causing severe defects in unborn children, including microcephaly, which leaves babies with abnormally small heads and often with brains that do not develop properly.

See also:

• 1st Baby Born With Zika Virus-Related Defect Born In Florida
• Zika Virus in Florida: What Pregnant Women Need to Know

“Babies with the defect often have a range of problems including developmental delay, intellectual disability, problems with movement and balance, hearing loss and vision problems,” the Florida Department of Health said in an email to media.

FDOH confirmed the recent birth of a baby with microcephaly in Florida. The baby’s mother, the state said, is a citizen of Haiti. She traveled to Florida to deliver the child.

Zika is a mosquito-borne illness that is characterized by a fever, rash and joint pain. While the illness typically resolves within a week, some severe cases may require hospitalization.

Aside from mosquitoes, Zika can be spread through sexual contact in some cases, the CDC notes. One of the confirmed cases in Polk County originated through sexual contact, the state of Florida reported. The patient in the case contracted the virus while traveling outside of the country.

The CDC recommends women who are pregnant or are considering becoming pregnant postpone travel to Zika-affected areas.

To help residents resolve questions about the virus and its spread, the state has set up a Zika Virus Information Hotline at 1-855-622-6735. The hotline has fielded more than 2,255 calls since it was launched Feb. 12, the state reported.

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