Zika Virus Confirmed In 2nd Tampa Bay Area County

TALLAHASSEE, FL — Polk has joined a growing list of Florida counties where confirmed cases of Zika virus have been reported.

State Surgeon General Dr. John Armstrong confirmed two new cases in Polk County Wednesday. Those are the first two cases reported out of that county. One of the Polk cases involves a person who traveled out of the country and the other is a sexually transmitted case that was confirmed in a person who also traveled outside the country.

The two new cases officially put Polk County under the state’s Declaration of Public Health Emergency order. To date, Florida has 52 confirmed Zika virus cases, including four cases involving pregnant women. All of the cases so far remain travel related. Of those confirmed to have had Zika virus, only three people are still experiencing symptoms, Armstrong said in his daily Zika Update report Wednesday. Hillsborough County is the only other county in the west central Florida area to have confirmed cases. Its case count stands at three.

While mosquitoes are the main transmitters of Zika virus, unprotected sex can also spread the disease, Armstrong said. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends anyone who travels to areas where local transmission of Zika virus is known should abstain from having unprotected sex.

See Also:

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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 CDC 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.

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 hotline has fielded more than 972 calls since it was launched Feb. 12, the state reported.

Photo from the CDC/James Gathany