Florida Gov. Says Florida Free of Zika Transmission

iStock/Thinkstock(MIAMI) — Florida Gov. Rick Scott announced Friday that Florida is now clear of locally-transmitted Zika for the first time since July. Since the Zika outbreak was announced in the state, four zones of ongoing Zika transmission had been identified and subsequently cleared in recent months.

day the last “Zika zone” in the state, located in the South Beach area of Miami Beach, was declared free of the Zika virus transmission.

“The South Beach area now does not have any local transmission of Zika and that’s a very good day for our state,” Scott told reporters.

The Zika outbreak in Florida was the first time the virus had spread via mosquitoes in the continental United States. Texas announced its first case of locally transmitted Zika virus last month.

Scott called the end of the outbreak an “outstanding day.”

“We’re going to make sure that everybody knows that this state is open for business,” Scott said.

There have been 249 locally transmitted cases of the Zika virus in Florida, according to the Florida Department of Health.

The Zika virus is primarily spread by the Aedes aegypti mosquito and generally causes mild symptoms in adults. But when a pregnant woman is infected, it is associated with an increased risk of birth defects, including microcephaly, characterized by an abnormally small head or brain. It can result in diminished mental capacity or other developmental delays.
 
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