WASHINGTON (AP) – Homegrown mosquitoes apparently have infected four people in the Miami area with Zika and now it’s up to tried-and-true public health measures to stamp out the birth defect-causing virus before it spreads.
Florida Gov. Rick Scott made the long-dreaded announcement Friday of the first likely Zika transmission by mosquitoes on the U.S. mainland.
Scientists don’t expect big outbreaks in U.S. states like those in hard-hit parts of Latin America and the Caribbean, including Puerto Rico. Containing community clusters will require good mosquito control and aggressive testing to track Zika, something Florida has done before in stopping a similar virus – dengue – that’s spread by the same mosquitoes.
But Zika can cause severe brain birth defects, and even limited local spread could put nearby women who are pregnant or trying to conceive at risk. Officials are working to make sure those women have access to insect repellent and good health advice.
“Our top priority is to protect pregnant women,” said Dr. Lyle Petersen of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.