Zika: Is Florida at the beginning of an outbreak?

Since Tuesday, the Florida Department of Health (DOH) has announced they, in conjunction with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), are investigating two possibleĀ non-travel related cases of Zika virus–one in Miami-Dade County andĀ one in Broward County.

Image/CDC
Image/CDC

These latest developments have some saying Florida may have it’s first Zika outbreak.

In addition, the state has seen Ā a nation leading 334 travel-associated Zika cases in both pregnant and non-pregnant patients. In the immediate Tampa Bay area, travel associated cases have been reported in Hillsborough (7), Pinellas (7), Polk (10), Pasco (5) and Manatee (1) counties.

On Wednesday, President Barack Obama spoke to Florida Gov. Rick ScottĀ regarding the suspected case of mosquito transmission of Zika in Miami-Dade, which would be the first local transmission of Zika in the continental US, notingĀ during the call that in addition to the $2 million that CDC has provided to Florida for Zika preparedness, CDC is anticipating it will award Florida $5.6 million in Zika funding through a CDC grant to be awarded this week.

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