Florida Confirms Local Zika Cases
July 29, 2016 − It’s here. The Zika virus, which causes grave birth defects and other brain and nerve
disorders, is being spread by mosquitoes in South Florida, officials said Friday.
Active transmission of Zika seems to be occurring in a small, 1-square-mile area just north of
downtown Miami, Florida Gov. Rick Scott told reporters. The four Zika cases under investigation in
[5] Miami-Dade and adjoining Broward County likely came from mosquitoes in the area, he said.
Three cases involve men, and one involves a woman. Scott did not say whether the woman is
pregnant. Zika prevention kits are being distributed in the affected areas, which include Miami’s
Wynwood neighborhood, an emerging arts district. Wynwood is also called “Little San Juan” because
of its high percentage of Puerto Rican residents.
[10] In a press call on Friday, CDC1 Director Tom Frieden, MD, said that, at present, the agency doesn’t
see a reason to advise people − including pregnant women − to stay away from the neighborhood.
Asked why the CDC is cautioning people not to travel to Zika-affected countries and territories, but
not to Florida, Frieden said transmission in Florida is not expected to be as explosive or widespread
as that seen in areas of Central and South America and the Caribbean.
[15] Studies indicate Zika poses the biggest threat of birth defects when babies are infected during the
early weeks of pregnancy, when organs and tissues are still forming. And evidence is accumulating
that the virus can also cause a spectrum of brain and neurologic problems which may not be
immediately detectable. “We keep hearing that microcephaly is the tip of the iceberg,” he said.
Scott said people who live in the area and want to be tested for Zika should contact their local
[20] health department. He further urged pregnant women to contact their doctors. Still, public health
officials say the development is no reason to panic.
Since the Zika outbreak began last year, 64 countries have reported evidence of mosquito-borne
transmission, according to the WHO. In Brazil, the hardest-hit nation, more than 1,700 cases of a
Zika-linked birth defect called microcephaly have been confirmed in newborns.
[25] The Florida Department of Health has urged residents to protect themselves by draining any places
that could collect standing water inside or outside their homes. They further advised people to
wear protective clothing, including long pants and long sleeves, and to use EPA-approved insect
repellents and mosquito netting.
Adaptado de www.webmd.com
1 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
64 countries have reported evidence of mosquito-borne transmission. (l. 22-23)
From the fragment above, the reader infers the following:
