Zika virus: Florida no longer considered to be area of virus transmission, say officials
ZIKA virus is no longer considered to be an area of virus transmission in Miami Beach, Florida, health officials at the CDC have announced.
There have been a further ten cases of Zika identified
Florida Governor Rick Scott has lifted the final zone of active Zika transmission in Miami-Dade, eliminating the last spot of active Zika transmission in South Beach.
Florida has previously conducted an aerial insecticide spraying campaign to kill mosquitoes carrying the Zika virus in Miami-Dade County.
The campaign covered a 10-mile area that included the one-mile-square area just north of downtown Miami that health officials identified as the hub of Zika transmission in the state.
Experts previously said women who have visited The Wynwood neighbourhood in Miami and Miami Beach should avoid getting pregnant for at least eight weeks, according to the Centre of Disease Control and Prevention.
Wynwood is one hour’s flight from Disney Land in Orlando, Florida and a three hour drive. However, it is less than an hour’s drive to the Everglades, a popular tourist destination.
The Zika virus can cause devastating birth defects - called microcephaly - which causes babies to be born with small heads and even brain damage.
Zika can cause microcephaly
The mosquito species that spreads Zika, the Aedes aegypti, lives in 30 states, in addition to territories such as Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands.
Brazilian researchers revealed they have found signs of the zika virus in a mosquito known as Culex quinquefasciatus which is a more common mosquito.
They said this insect could be responsible for transmitting the disease to humans.
Experts said the cases previously reported Miami were particularly alarming because most have been diagnosed in people who have been diagnosed abroad, or from having sex with someone who has travelled abroad.
Pregnant women are being advised to take preventative measures
Areas of Miami were cordoned off to prevent people being infected with the virus.
Experts warn women thinking about getting pregnant should wait at least eight weeks and men with Zika should wait at least six months after experiencing symptoms after getting pregnant.
People travelling to infected areas are being urged to prevent mosquito bite.
Women who are pregnant should use condoms overtime they have sex with a person who has lived in or travelled to the area.
Zika can be spread by mosquitos
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In November, the WHO lifted the international public health emergency, which was declared ten months ago.
But the organisation has also warned that the Zika virus is here to stay.
Despite the virus no longer being a public health emergency, the United Nations health agency has warned that it still remains a “significant and enduring public health challenge”.
The infection has been linked to severe birth defects in nearly 30 counties.