New Zika Virus Case Confirmed In Broward

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MIAMI (CBSMiami) - Florida health officials have confirmed two new cases of the Zika virus in the state.

The new cases were reported in Broward and Alachua counties.

Miami-Dade has now had seven confirmed cases, Broward has had three. There have been 20 confirmed cases statewide. All reported cases are travel-related and involve non-pregnant women.

Health officials have said they don't expect widespread transmission of the mosquito-borne virus in the continental U.S., but Puerto Rico could be vulnerable because of its natural environment.

On Friday, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention held a conference call with doctors, OB-GYNs and hospital workers around the state to discuss the virus, its symptoms, proper precautions and treatments.

Also, the state's Department of Health activated a Zika Virus Information Hotline for Florida residents and visitors, as well as anyone planning on traveling to Florida in the near future. Manned by health department staff, the hotline can answer questions on the Zika virus and the state's preparedness efforts. The number for the Zika Virus Information Hotline is 855-622-6735.

Only 1 in 5 people infected with the virus show symptoms which are usually mild and rarely require the person to be hospitalized.

The World Health Organization (WHO) said a large scale trials for a Zika vaccine are at least a year and a half away.

WHO considers the virus "a public health emergency of international concern" due to its possible links to a birth defect called microcephaly  in which babies are born with small heads and the neurological disorder Guillain-Barré syndrome in which the immune system attacks the nervous system.