Florida's governor on Friday reported the first evidence of local Zika virus transmission in the continental United States, saying testing of four residents showed they were likely infected by mosquito bites.
Governor Rick Scott
said the state believed active transmission of the virus was occurring
in a small area of the populous Miami-Dade county. One case involved a
woman and the other three involved men, Scott said.
While
health officials have yet to identify mosquitoes carrying the virus,
the state has ruled out other means of
transmission, including travel to
another country with a Zika outbreak, and sexual contact.
U.S.
health officials have cautioned for months that the summer mosquito
season was likely to bring local outbreaks, with Gulf Coast states such
as Florida, Texas and Louisiana, on the front lines.
The current Zika outbreak was first detected in Brazil
last year, triggering global alarm amid evidence the virus could cause a
rare birth defect in infants and other severe neurological
abnormalities.
Brazil has confirmed over 1,600
cases of microcephaly linked to Zika infection in pregnant women. The
condition is defined by unusually small infant head size and related
profound developmental problems.
Zika's U.S.
arrival comes with Congress in recess after failing to reach an
agreement over how much funding could be used to fight an outbreak. The
Obama administration has requested $1.9 billion to finance research,
mosquito control and other prevention efforts
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