Florida
lifts Zika transmission zone in parts of Miami Beach
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[November 23, 2016]
By Letitia Stein
TAMPA, Fla. (Reuters) - - Florida officials
removed part of Miami Beach from an active Zika transmission zone on
Tuesday, saying more than 45 days had passed since the last local case
of the mosquito-borne virus that has been linked to microcephaly, a rare
birth defect.
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Popular areas in the southern part of the seaside tourist
destination, however, remain in a designated zone of active Zika
transmission.
The area of active transmission in Miami Beach is now about 1.5
square miles (2.4 km). The newly cleared area covers about three
square miles, Florida Governor Rick Scott said in a statement.
State officials believe Zika is still being transmitted in another
small area of Miami-Dade County, in addition to the remaining
section of Miami Beach. Mosquitoes began spreading the virus this
summer in Florida, bringing local Zika transmission to the
continental United States.
"Until we have a vaccine, this is going to be something we're going
to deal with," Scott said at a news conference in Miami Beach.
"We’re going to be active, and we've learned a lot," he added.
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On Tuesday, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said
as of Nov. 16 there were 4,255 cases of Zika reported in the
continental United States and Hawaii. Of the total reported Zika
cases, 35 are believed to be through sexual transmission and one
case from lab exposure.
Florida on Tuesday separately said it has seen 1,201 cases of Zika,
and 236 of them were locally acquired infections, according to the
state health department.
The CDC also updated its travel guidance for the Miami area, urging
continued caution. It has suggested that pregnant women consider
postponing travel anywhere in Miami-Dade County, but it expressly
directs pregnant women to avoid travel to areas within the county
that are still designated as Zika transmission zones.
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Zika infections in pregnant women have been shown to cause
microcephaly - a severe birth defect in which the head and brain of
babies are undersized and underdeveloped - as well as other brain
abnormalities.
A report on Tuesday raised new concerns about the hidden effects of
pre-natal exposure to Zika, showing some babies in Brazil gradually
developed microcephaly in the months following birth.
The developments come after the World Health Organization declared
the global Zika emergency over on Friday, because the link between
Zika and microcephaly has been confirmed. WHO intends to continue
studying Zika as a serious infectious disease that will require
years of research.
The connection between Zika and microcephaly first came to light
last year in Brazil, which has since confirmed more than 2,100 cases
of microcephaly.
In adults, Zika infections have also been linked to a rare
neurological syndrome known as Guillain-Barre, as well as other
neurological disorders.
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