Key West The Newspaper

Tallahassee, Fla.—In an effort to keep Florida residents and visitors safe and aware about the status of the Zika virus, the department will issue a Zika virus update each week day. Updates will include a Zika case count by county and information to keep Floridians informed and prepared. In order to keep the public informed, the department has posted our investigation process here.

As a result of a change in the CDC national case definition for Zika, the department is updating the daily Zika update to match Florida data published nationally.

There are six new locally acquired cases today. Five are Miami-Dade County residents and one is a non-Florida resident. The department is investigating to determine where exposure occurred.

Additionally, there is one new case in a Florida resident who had traveled to Miami and to an area outside of Florida with widespread Zika transmission. This case is being added to the undetermined category as the exact location of exposure is inconclusive.

The total number of Zika cases reported in Florida as of today is 1,144.

The following is a breakdown of current cases. Note, these categories are not mutually exclusive and cannot be added together. The pregnant women category now includes travel, locally acquired and undetermined cases.

All categories include non-Florida residents. Non-Florida residents who acquired Zika in Florida are in the locally acquired category. Non-Florida residents who acquired Zika outside of Florida, but were diagnosed in Florida are included in the travel-related category. Please visit our website to see the full list of travel-related cases by county.

DOH continues door-to-door outreach and targeted testing in Miami-Dade counties and mosquito abatement and reduction activities are also taking place around the locations that are being investigated. DOH believes ongoing transmission is only taking place within the identified area in Miami Beach in Miami-Dade County, see map below.

One case does not mean ongoing active transmission is taking place. DOH conducts a thorough investigation by sampling close contacts and community members around each case to determine if additional people are infected. If DOH finds evidence that active transmission is occurring in an area, the media and the public will be notified.

The timelines below are as of Nov. 4 and will be updated every Friday. Note: asymptomatic cases are not reflected as they do not have symptom on-set dates.

The department is currently conducting 14 active investigations. The department has closed 35 investigations. Information regarding the investigations can be found here. If investigations reveal additional areas of active transmission, the department will announce a defined area of concern.

The department has conducted Zika virus testing for more than 10,118 people statewide. Florida currently has the capacity to test 7,149 people for active Zika virus and 5,813 for Zika antibodies. At Governor Scott’s direction, all county health departments now offer free Zika risk assessment and testing to pregnant women.

Florida’s small case cluster is not considered widespread transmission, however, pregnant women are advised to avoid non-essential travel to the impacted area in Miami-Dade County (see map below). If you are pregnant and must travel or if you live or work in the impacted area, protect yourself from mosquito bites by wearing insect repellent, long clothing and limiting your time outdoors.

According to CDC guidance, providers should test all pregnant women who lived in, traveled to or whose partner traveled to Miami-Dade County after Aug. 1, 2016. It is also recommended that all pregnant women who reside in or travel frequently to the area where active transmission is likely occurring be tested for Zika in the first and second trimester. Pregnant women in the identified area can contact their medical provider or their local county health department to be tested and receive a Zika prevention kit. CDC recommends that a pregnant woman with a history of Zika virus and her provider should consider additional ultrasounds. Additionally, the department is working closely with the Healthy Start Coalition of Miami-Dade County to identify pregnant women in the impacted areas to ensure they have access to resources and information to protect themselves. CDC recommends that a pregnant woman with a history of Zika virus and her provider should consider additional ultrasounds.

Pregnant women can contact their local county health department for Zika risk assessment and testing hours and information. A Zika risk assessment will be conducted by county health department staff and blood and/or urine samples may be collected and sent to labs for testing. It may take one to two weeks to receive results.

Florida has been monitoring pregnant women with evidence of Zika regardless of symptoms. The total number of pregnant women who have been or are being monitored is 143.

On Feb. 12, Governor Scott directed the State Surgeon General to activate a Zika Virus Information Hotline for current Florida residents and visitors, as well as anyone planning on traveling to Florida in the near future. The hotline, managed by the Department of Health, has assisted 7,198 callers since it launched. The number for the Zika Virus Information Hotline is 1-855-622-6735.

The department urges Floridians to drain standing water weekly, no matter how seemingly small. A couple drops of water in a bottle cap can be a breeding location for mosquitoes. Residents and visitors also need to use repellents when enjoying the Florida outdoors.

For more information on DOH action and federal guidance, please click here.

For resources and information on Zika virus, click here.

About the Florida Department of Health

The department, nationally accredited by the Public Health Accreditation Board, works to protect, promote and improve the health of all people in Florida through integrated state, county and community efforts.

Follow us on Twitter at @HealthyFla and on Facebook. For more information about the Florida Department of Health please visit www.FloridaHealth.gov.