Tampa Bay Zika Virus Cases Continue To Climb

TAMPA BAY, FL — The third travel-related Zika virus case in Pinellas County was confirmed by the Florida Department of Health on Wednesday. That confirmation brings the total number of cases in the Tampa Bay area up to 10.

The statewide total as of Wednesday, including Bay area cases, reached 120. That number includes eight cases involving pregnant woman. The eighth case was also confirmed Wednesday along with new cases in Brevard and Broward counties.

In the Tampa Bay area, Hillsborough and Polk counties both have three confirmed cases. Pasco County has also witnessed one confirmed case. The three out of Pinellas bring the region’s total to 10. No cases have been confirmed in Manatee or Sarasota counties to date. Nearby Hernando County also has zero recorded cases.

As of Wednesday, the state reported that five of the patients confirmed to have Zika virus in the state are still displaying symptoms. All of the state’s cases are travel-related, which means those affected contracted the virus outside of the country.

Back in February, Gov. Rick Scott instructed the state's surgeon general to issue a Declaration of Public Health Emergency for the counties where residents have tested positive for travel-associated cases of Zika virus. To date, 19 counties have been included in that order. Other areas where Zika has been confirmed include Alachua, Brevard, Broward, Clay, Collier, Lee, Martin, Miami-Dade, Orange, Osceola, Palm Beach, Santa Rose, Seminole, St. Johns and Volusia counties.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention 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.

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.

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.

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 1,725 calls since it was launched Feb. 12, the state reported.

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