Tampa Bay Zika Virus Cases Climb Ahead Of 4th Of July Weekend

Tampa Bay, FL – Ten new travel-related Zika virus cases were confirmed Friday by the Florida Department of Health. Four of those cases involve residents of Tampa Bay area counties.

The four new local cases involve two residents of Pasco County and two residents of Polk County. New cases were also confirmed in Charlotte, Citrus, Miami-Dade and Orange counties. In addition, two new cases involving pregnant women were reported by the state.

Friday’s confirmation of 10 new cases brings the state’s total up to 246. Forty-three of those cases involve pregnant women. In the Tampa Bay area to date, Pinellas County has six confirmed cases, Hillsborough five, Pasco four and Polk six. No cases have been reported in Sarasota or Manatee counties.

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 birth of a baby with microcephaly on Tuesday. 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.

As of Friday, 25 of the 246 Floridians who have been confirmed to have Zika virus still had symptoms.

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 2,189 calls since it was launched Feb. 12, the state reported.

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