The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention gave millions to states after the first cases of Zika virus transmitted through infected mosquitoes were reported in Miami-Dade County.
The CDC awarded the Florida Department of Health $720,000 to help quickly detect serious birth defects linked to the Zika virus, Bert Kelly, a CDC spokesman, wrote in an email.
The CDC distributed $16 million between 40 states and territories, making Florida one of the four states to receive the highest amount of funding, Kelly said.
Until the cases reported in Miami, all Zika cases in the U.S. were travel-related.
“The Florida Department of Health has identified an area in one neighborhood of Miami where Zika is being spread by mosquitoes,” Kelly said.
Due to the living conditions in the U.S., it's not likely there will be a big, sustained Zika outbreak, Kelly said.
“We are working hard to learn more about Zika, and although we cannot rule out the possibility of a large outbreak in an urban area, everything we have seen so far suggests that this would be unlikely,” Kelly said.
Multiple factors control how this virus will spread, said Roberto Pereira, a nematology and entomology scientist at UF.
“It all depends on how the state responds to these cases and how the population in general responds to these cases,” he said. “There’s a lot that needs to be done by the people in Florida themselves by preventing the breeding of mosquitoes in their backyards.”
- Removing standing water in backyards to prevent mosquitoes from breeding
- When outdoors during dawn or dusk, wear long-sleeve shirts and pants
- Use mosquito repellent when outside
Source: Roberto Pereira
