If confirmed, cases would be first instances of Zika infection in continental United States
FRIDAY, July 22, 2016 (HealthDay News) — Florida health officials say they’re investigating a second possible case of locally transmitted Zika infection.
On Tuesday, the first possible case of local infection in the continental United States was reported by the state’s health department. The first case involves a woman in Miami-Dade County, while the second involves a resident of Broward County, north of Miami.
Florida health officials are capturing and testing mosquitoes in the neighborhoods where the two unidentified patients live. Meanwhile, Gov. Rick Scott has asked for assistance from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, The Miami Herald reported Thursday.
There have been more than 1,400 confirmed Zika cases in the United States, but so far all of them have been contracted through travel abroad — either by a mosquito bite or by sexual intercourse with someone who had traveled to a Zika-infected area. CDC officials have said repeatedly they expect to see cases of local transmission of the Zika virus this summer in southern states with warm, humid climates such as Florida, Louisiana, and Texas.
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