After reporting 47 locally transmitted Zika virus cases in Florida through Aug. 31- in Pinellas, Palm Beach and Miami-Dade counties- state agriculture officials have finally and not surprisingly detected the virus in mosquitoes in an affected area.

Aedes aegypti/CDC
Aedes aegypti/CDC

The Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services has detected Zika in three mosquito samples from a small area in Miami Beach. The mosquitoes from Miami Beach that tested positive for Zika are from an area where increased trapping and intensified mosquito control measures are occurring due to the investigation of local transmission led by the Florida Department of Health. Ninety-five additional samples have been submitted by Miami-Dade County after the date of the positive submission, and the mosquitoes have tested negative for Zika.

“This find is disappointing, but not surprising. Florida is among the best in the nation when it comes to mosquito surveillance and control, and this detection enables us to continue to effectively target our resources. Miami-Dade County, the City of Miami Beach, and state and federal partners will continue to work aggressively to prevent the spread of Zika,” stated Commissioner of Agriculture Adam H. Putnam.

The positive mosquito pools were collected in Miami Beach within the current zone that has been treated for local transmission. Scientists with the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services tested the samples at the Bronson Animal Disease Diagnostic Laboratory in Kissimmee, and the samples were then sent to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and Florida Gulf Coast University for confirmation.

In addition to the locally transmitted cases, Florida has also seen 569 travel-associated cases, including 80 infections in pregnant women.

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