Health officials are now conducting an investigation on a Zika virus infection in Florida. It is said that this is possibly the first non-travel related Zika infection in the United States.
The Florida Department of Health is now conducting an epidemiological investigation along with the Centers for Disease Control. The department stated on their website that the "possible non-travel related case of Zika virus" was recorded in Miami-Dade County.
Kits to prevent Zika and mosquito repellants are now ready for pick up at DOH-Miami-Dade. It is also distributed in the area where the infection was recorded. Mosquito control has conducted reduction and prevention activities in the area.
Around 1,300 cases of Zika have been recorded in the continent of U.S. and in Hawaii, but none of these have reported to be caused by a mosquito bite. Most of the cases have been from travelers that came from countries where the virus is spreading. At least 14 of them are reported to acquire the infection through sexual transmission from someone who was infected living outside the U.S. continent, US News reported.
The CDC has been expecting that the mosquitoes could eventually spread the virus in parts of the U.S. with warm and humid climates like Florida, Louisiana and Texas. The virus is being carried by Aedes mosquitoes.
On the other hand, U.S. health officials announced on Monday the first Zika infection that was not acquired through sex or mosquito bite. The officials are investigating the case of an elderly man with Zika infection from Utah who managed to infect a family caregiver. It is said that Aedes mosquitoes are not usually found in northern Utah where the elderly man with Zika lived.
"The new case in Utah is a surprise, showing that we still have more to learn about Zika," said Dr. Erin Staples, a medical epidemiologist with the CDC working in Utah. Staples added that the caregiver quickly recovered. The local Utah authorities said that the public should not fear general Zika transmission.
The deceased patient reportedly traveled outside the country where Zika cases are high and apparently caught the virus there. The virus in his blood, according to the lab test, is 100,000 times higher compared to other Zika samples, CDC said on a news release.
Here is a video about the first non-sexual Zika case that was reported in Florida: