Staff Reports
Miami Beach’s Zika zone just grew.
The Florida Department of Health expanded the area of believed active transmission of the virus from 8th Street to 63rd Street in Miami Beach Friday night. The revised zone is now around 4.5 square miles.
“While we’ve learned that we’re expanding the impacted area in Miami Beach, the good news is that we expect to lift the zone in Wynwood on Monday because of our aggressive mosquito control measures, outreach to the community, education efforts and the vigilant actions of the residents and businesses in Wynwood,” Gov. Rick Scott said in a written statement.
He urged the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to assign an additional epidemiologist to help. He also wants the CDC to host a call with community leaders and medical experts in Miami Beach to address the community’s questions about Zika.
Earlier Friday, the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services announced it had detected Zika in one mosquito sample in the same area of Miami Beach where four other samples tested positive for Zika.
Scott said the department has identified five people — two men and three women — in the expanded area who showed symptoms within one month of each other. One had already been identified; the other four were confirmed on Friday.
Health officials have associated 35 non-travel-related cases with the expanded Zika area, Scott said. In all, 93 non-travel-related cases have been linked to Florida, including people who live in other states but contracted the virus here.
Scott has criticized the federal government for its slow response to Zika. Legislation to address the virus has stalled in the U.S. Senate in a dispute over Planned Parenthood. He pumped $10 million in state resources into the campaign against the virus, bringing total state spending to $36.2 million.
“The expansion of the Miami Beach area where local transmission is occurring highlights the need for continued aggressive mosquito control measures and for Congress to immediately approve federal funding to combat Zika,” Scott said Friday night.
He called the situation a “national crisis,” adding: “Every minute that passes that Congress doesn’t approve funding means more time is lost from researching this virus to find a vaccine to help pregnant women and their developing babies.”
Scott also has asked for 10,000 Zika prevention kits for expectant mothers; additional lab support; and a detailed federal plan for asserting federal resources against the virus.
