Zika Transmission Zone Triples In Miami Beach
MIAMI BEACH, Fla. (CBSNewYork/CBS Miami/AP) -- The Zika virus zone in Miami Beach has tripled to 4.5 square miles, Florida state officials said Friday night.
The Florida Department of Health announced Friday that it has expanded the area of local transmission in Miami Beach from 8th Street to 63rd Street.
The department said five people -- two men and three women – in the expanded area all experienced symptoms within one month of each other, CBS Miami reported. There was no word on whether the women were pregnant.
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None of the latest Miami Beach infections were related to travel, officials said.
Larviciding and other mosquito control efforts are already under way and will continue through the Miami-Dade Mosquito Control District, officials said.
But Florida Gov. Rick Scott said the earlier Zika zone in the Wynwood neighborhood of Miami will soon expire.
"While we've learned that we're expanding the impacted area in Miami Beach, the good news is that we expect to lift the zone in Wynwood on Monday because of our aggressive mosquito control measures, outreach to the community, education efforts and the vigilant actions of the residents and businesses in Wynwood," Scott said in a statement.
Zika primarily spreads through bites from mosquitoes, but can also be sexually transmitted. Most people won't even know they have been infected by Zika because it often causes no symptoms at all or just mild symptoms.
In New York City, the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene last month launched a new, interactive mosquito information website as part of the three-year, $21 million effort to keep the Zika virus from spreading.
The new online tool shows New Yorkers exactly where mosquito surveillance and control operations are happening across the city, as well the mosquito count and recent mosquito control events by neighborhood.
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