First U.S. area with Zika declared virus free

  20 September 2016    Read: 1222
First U.S. area with Zika declared virus free
The first U.S. area with locally transmitted Zika, the Wynwood neighborhood in Miami, is now free of the mosquito-borne virus, Florida Governor Rick Scott announced Monday, as federal health officials continued to advise that pregnant women and their partners consider postponing "nonessential travel" to the affected regions.
Scott made the announcement following 45 days with no evidence of active Zika transmission in the entire Wynwood zone, which was originally about one square mile (2.6 square kilometers).

Florida will host "Dine Out Wynwood" on Sept. 30 to support businesses there and Scott said he will be in Wynwood to participate in the event.

"Now that the Wynwood zone has been lifted, we must all work together to help this incredible Florida community fully recover," he said in a statement. "I encourage everyone to travel to Wynwood and join me in visiting the many great local restaurants and businesses."

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) attributed the success in mosquito control to the aerial application of the larvicide Bti and the adulticide Naled.

"We understand that this has been a difficult time for Wynwood residents and visitors," CDC Director Tom Frieden, said in a statement. "Still, we encourage people not to let down their guard. We could see additional cases."

Indeed, the fight against Zika is not over in Florida, as the virus is still spreading in another location in Miami, known as Miami Beach.

On Friday, the Florida Department of Health expanded the Miami Beach Zika zone from an area of about 1.5 square miles to 4.5 square miles (3.9 square kilometers to 11.7 square kilometers).

Therefore, the U.S. CDC updated its guidance on Aug. 1 that advised pregnant women to avoid travel to the Wynwood-designated area.

It`s now recommended that pregnant women and their partners who are concerned about potential Zika virus exposure "may also consider postponing nonessential travel to all parts of Miami-Dade County," where both Wynwood and Miami Beach are located.

"People living in or visiting Miami-Dade County, particularly pregnant women, are encouraged to continue to take steps to prevent mosquito bites and to follow guidelines for preventing sexual transmission," Frieden added.

So far, Florida is the only U.S. state that has reported local Zika transmission by mosquitoes. The total number of local Zika cases in the state has reached 93.

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