Florida has just confirmed that there are 10 new cases of Zika in the state making it a total of 1,000 cases of the disease in the whole of the United States.
PBS News Hour reported that the 10 new cases were recorded in just one day making it the largest number of a one-day total announced in the U.S. since the disease started to spread throughout Latin America in 2015. According to reports, a thousand cases have been recorded in the country but 246 of these cases were found in Florida this year.
Due to this, the Florida Department of Health said in a statement that it would routinely update residents about the new cases of the virus as well as how to prevent contracting it. It was unclear, however, if the new cases were acquired locally or if it is travel-related. Most of the cases listed detail that they have recently traveled to a country where the virus has spread.
The United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said that the primary spread of the Zika virus is through the bite of the Aedes mosquito but could also be transferred via sexual intercourse. Pregnant women are being urged to take extra precaution as the baby could suffer from Zika-linked microcephaly or other invisible defects that could not be easily detected.
Babies in Brazil have been affected with Zika-related microcephaly and people rarely die from the disease. A person infected with Zika also generally does not show symptoms to the point of getting hospitalized.
Health officials have expressed concerns regarding people in the U.S. living in poor and urban areas along the Gulf Coast. People living in these areas are more likely prone to the disease since they might have broken window screens, limited air conditioning, and unsanitary living conditions.
There is no vaccine or treatment for Zika virus as of current.
