2nd Pinellas County Zika Virus Case Confirmed

PINELLAS COUNTY, FL — Another Pinellas County resident has tested positive for the Zika virus, according to the Florida Department of Health.

The travel-related case is a second for the county and the ninth confirmed in the Tampa Bay area to date. Hillsborough and Polk counties both have three confirmed cases and Pasco has witnessed one so far.

The state of Florida has confirmed 116 Zika cases to date. All of the region’s cases – and the state’s – are travel related, the state noted in Tuesday’s daily Zika virus update. So far, seven pregnant women have been confirmed to have the virus, as well. Pinellas County’s first confirmed case was recorded last week.

Of the confirmed cases so far, only five patients are still exhibiting symptoms, the state reported Tuesday.

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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