353 Confirmed Zika Virus Cases in Florida

TALLAHASSEE, FL — The total number of confirmed travel-related Zika virus cases in Florida climbed to 353 on Friday with the announcement of 19 new patients. Several of those cases involve residents from the Tampa Bay area.

According to the Florida Department of Health, 306 travel-related cases have been confirmed in counties across the state. Another 47 travel-related cases involving pregnant women have also been confirmed by the state. While all 353 confirmed cases involve people who contracted the virus while traveling, the state is also investigating two possible cases that are not travel related. Those cases originated in Miami-Dade and Broward counties.

The 19 new travel-related cases confirmed on Friday include two people from Hillsborough County, one from Pasco and one from Polk. The Tampa Bay area's confirmed travel-related case count to date is as follows:

• Hillsborough County – 9
• Manatee County – 1
• Pasco County – 6
• Pinellas County – 7
• Polk County – 11

The CDC has confirmed that the Zika 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.

“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.

See also:

• Florida Zika Virus Update: Non-Travel-Related Case Under Investigation
• 1st Baby Born With Zika Virus-Related Defect Born In Florida
• Zika Virus in Florida: What Pregnant Women Need to Know
• CDC Records First Female-to-Male Zika Virus Transmission

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 2,347 calls since it was launched Feb. 12, the state reported.

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