The Florida Zika Outbreak Is Looking Worse And Worse

The Florida Zika Outbreak Is Looking Worse And Worse

Yesterday, Florida Governor Rick Scott announced that 10 more people in Florida have contracted the Zika virus, likely through mosquito bites, bringing the total number of confirmed cases to 14 cases. Citing the increase, the governor also asked the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention to mobilise an Emergency Response Team to help the state with its “investigation, sample collection and mosquito control efforts”.

Florida Governor Rick Scott during a July 26th press conference. (Image: AP)

The 10 new cases represent a sharp increase since Saturday, when the governor first identified four cases. The announcement follows a number of official recommendations to combat and contain the disease, including restrictions on blood donation and a Mosquito Declaration.

According to the governor’s press release, of the 10 new cases, six aren’t showing symptoms, and were “identified from the door-to-door community survey that DOH is conducting”.

Florida’s Department of Health said that active Zika transmissions have so far been confined to a small area of Miami-Dade County; so far, two locations have been excluded as possible sources.

The Florida Zika Outbreak Is Looking Worse And Worse
Image: Florida Governor’s Office

Image: Florida Governor’s Office

The Florida government also reminded residents that Zika is still most dangerous for pregnant women and babies — a danger that has prompted fears among American women outside of the state, too, according to recent reports.

It took the US federal government quite some time to buck up with funding to fight Zika, but in late July, President Obama promised that Florida would receive millions of dollars in additional CDC aid. Elsewhere, Louisiana also recently received its own packet of aid to help fight the virus.


The Cheapest NBN 50 Plans

It’s the most popular NBN speed in Australia for a reason. Here are the cheapest plans available.

At Gizmodo, we independently select and write about stuff we love and think you'll like too. We have affiliate and advertising partnerships, which means we may collect a share of sales or other compensation from the links on this page. BTW – prices are accurate and items in stock at the time of posting.