Florida Governor Rick Scott announced today that the Florida Department of Public Health (Florida Health) is investigating a case of locally transmitted Zika in Palm Beach County. The case is the first non-travel related Zika transmission outside of Miami-Dade and Broward counties in Florida. As of today, the state has 17 cases of non-travel related Zika.
Florida Health is conducting door-to-door outreach, mosquito abatement, and sampling in Palm Beach County. According to a statement from the governor's office, the person had recently traveled to Miami-Dade County, and Florida Health officials are still saying that active transmission of Zika is limited to a 1-square mile area of the Wynwood neighborhood, just north of downtown Miami.
"While this investigation is ongoing, DOH still believes active transmissions are only taking place within the identified area that is less than one-square mile in Miami-Dade County," said Scott in a statement. "With the announcement of this new case, and the upcoming new school year, I have directed DOH and DOE to closely work together to ensure students, parents, educators and district leaders have all the resources and guidance they need to combat the Zika virus."
With the start of school approaching, Scott said he would work with the Florida Department of Education to distribute Zika preparedness kits across to schools and universities across southern Florida, including door hangers, mosquito repellent, and other educational materials.
In its daily update, Florida Health said there are 357 travel-related Zika cases in the state, 55 in pregnant women. On Aug 3, Scott ordered that all pregnant women in Florida can be tested for Zika for free. Florida health has already tested 2,515 people statewide for Zika virus, and has the capacity to test 6,145 people for active Zika virus and 1,840 for Zika antibodies.
See also:
Aug 8 Governor Scott's statement
Aug 8 Florida Health update
