Hillsborough County Logs New Zika Virus Case

HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY, FL — Florida’s total number of confirmed, travel-related Zika virus cases climbed to 364 on Tuesday with the report of six new instances across the state. One of the new cases involves a resident of Hillsborough County.

To date, Hillsborough County has witnessed 10 confirmed cases. Other cases in the Tampa Bay area are as follows:

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

There have been no confirmed cases in Sarasota County. Of the state’s total of 364 cases, 49 involve pregnant women. The state is also continuing to investigate two cases — one in Broward and one in Miami-Dade — that may not be travel related. The state has yet to confirm those two cases.

In addition to Hillsborough County, the other new cases reported Tuesday originated in Miami-Dade, Broward and Orange County. One case also involves a pregnant woman. The state does not release the counties where infected pregnant women live.

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 2,396 calls since it was launched Feb. 12, the state reported.

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