4 New Non-Travel Related Zika Cases In Miami Beach
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MIAMI (CBSMiami) – The war against Zika marches on in Miami-Dade County where there are four new non-travel related cases Tuesday. Three of the four are associated with Miami Beach and the fourth is still under investigation.
This comes just one day after the Zika zone was lifted in Miami's Wynwood art district where no new cases have been reported since early August.
But the same cannot be said for Miami Beach where the Department of Health is continuing its door-to-door outreach and targeted testing plus mosquito spraying to try and stop new infections. The Zika transmission zone in Miami Beach is a 4.5 mile area within the boundaries of 8th and 63rd streets.
Despite public outreach and aggressive mosquito control measures, including the removal of cylinder-shaped tropical plants that trap water where insects can breed, Florida health officials have continued to find Zika-carrying mosquitoes in Miami Beach.
Miami Beach's tall buildings and ocean breezes make aerial spraying of naled more difficult than in Wynwood. Naled is the insecticide that targets adult mosquitoes and is the center of many protests by residents who object to its use despite assurances from health officials that they are using concentrations of the chemical that are safe for humans.
A plane contracted by Miami-Dade County mosquito control officials sprayed naled over South Beach on Sunday. It was the city's third aerial spraying. A fourth is scheduled Saturday.
Zika 101: Prevent Spread By Protecting Yourself
Of 85 non-travel-related Zika cases in Florida residents, 31 were associated with Wynwood and 40 with Miami Beach.
Another 10 people who aren't Florida residents also have contracted Zika in the state.
Zika infections are mild for most people but can cause severe brain-related birth defects, including a dangerously small head, if women are infected during pregnancy.
Click here for more information on the Zika virus or here for more Zika-related stories.
