Florida health officials reported on three additional travel associated Zika virus cases Friday, including one in a pregnant woman, the fifth such case to be reported in the state.
In addition to the case in the pregnant woman from an undisclosed county (the Florida Department of Health is not sharing the counties for pregnant women infected with Zika), cases were also reported from Polk County , their 3rd and Broward County, their 12th.
To date, Florida has seen 79 Zika virus infections, all imported cases.
Nationally, the CDC has reported 312 imported Zika cases from 41 states and the District of Columbia through Mar. 30. Of the 312 cases reported, 27 were pregnant women, 6 were sexually transmitted, and 1 had Guillain-Barré syndrome.
In addition on Friday, Interim State Surgeon General Dr. Celeste Philip led a ten-member delegation made up of representatives from the Florida Department of Health, Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services and local Mosquito Control Districts to the U.S. Zika Action Plan Summit hosted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
More than 300 local, state, and federal government officials; health experts; and non-government partners gathered at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to prepare for the likelihood of mosquito-borne transmission of the Zika virus in some parts of the continental United States.
The summit aimed to identify gaps in readiness and provide technical support to states in the development of Zika action plans that will allow their jurisdictions to effectively prepare for and respond to active Zika transmission they may experience.
“The mosquitoes that carry Zika virus are already active in U.S. territories, hundreds of travelers with Zika have already returned to the continental U.S., and we could well see clusters of Zika virus in the continental U.S. in the coming months. Urgent action is needed, especially to minimize the risk of exposure during pregnancy,” said CDC Director Tom Frieden, M.D., M.P.H. “Everyone has a role to play. With federal support, state and local leaders and their community partners will develop a comprehensive action plan to fight Zika in their communities.”
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