2 New Zika Virus Cases Confirmed in Tampa Bay Area

Tampa Bay, FL — Two more confirmed travel-related cases of Zika virus have cropped up in the Tampa Bay area.

According to the Florida Department of Health’s Daily Zika Update on Wednesday, a new case has been confirmed in Pasco County and another in Pinellas County. The total number of confirmed, travel-related cases statewide rose to 293 on Wednesday, including 43 pregnant women.

The Tampa Bay area’s Zika virus case count now stands at 26, with eight cases in Polk, seven in Pinellas, six in Hillsborough and five in Pasco. Manatee and Sarasota counties have not yet had a confirmed case.

A total of 11 new cases statewide were confirmed by the state on Wednesday. Other cases were recorded in Broward, Collier, Duval, Miami-Dade and Orange counties. Miami-Dade continues to lead the state with 78 confirmed cases.

All confirmed Zika virus cases in Florida are travel-related, the state said. That means those infected contracted the virus while traveling outside of the state.

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 2,270 calls since it was launched Feb. 12, the state reported.

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