The outbreak of Zika virus in Florida caused an alarm to the officials of Department Health due to the assumption that the said virus was transmitted locally. According to Governor Rick Scott in a report of Reuters, "The state believed active transmission of the virus was occurring within an area of Miami about the size of a square mile (2.6 square, "kms). Testing showed that one woman and three men had been infected. This means Florida has become the first state in the nation to have local transmission of the Zika virus."
The assumption has not yet proven true as health officials are still undergoing process to clearly identify the carrier mosquitoes. Besides, two factors are also considered for possible route of transmission that includes travel to another country with a Zika outbreak and sexual transmissions.
Several measures and actions have been rolled out in the state to make the public aware of the outbreak. This calls especially to those pregnant women who are in greater risk when infected with the virus. They have been advised not to travel to more than 50 countries where there is an outbreak. CNN reported, "At least 13 infants have been born with Zika-related effects in the continental U.S. and Hawaii and there have been six sudden or voluntary Zika-related pregnancy losses reported. There are more than 400 pregnant women with the virus in the United States."
In relation to this, the World Health Organization has declared global health emergency in February showing the effect of the virus such as microcephaly and other severe neurological abnormalities. A temporary paralysis called Guillain-Barre Syndrome is also a possible effect.
The government has used its financial resources to immediately address the threat. In fact, a sum $1.9 billion was requested by Obama administration for mosquito control and other means of preventions and to support the research and studies.
