As of Tuesday, May 10, Orange County has just confirmed the seventh confirmed case of the Zika virus, all of which have been travel-related. Meanwhile, Puerto Rico recently saw its first death from the mosquito-borne virus, the first death out of about 600 cases in the island territory.
So far, Florida has seen 99 Zika virus cases, with Orange, Osceola, Brevard, Seminole and Polk Counties accounting for 16 of those patients.
Florida Senator Bill Nelson attributed local cases to the state’s “sizeable population of Puerto Ricans.” Senator Nelson recently requested $1.9 billion of emergency funding to help Florida prepare for the Zika virus this year. His request was denied.
Understanding the Zika Virus Threat in Florida and the Southern United States
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recently reported that there have been 426 confirmed cases of the virus so far in the United States. Fortunately, no one has yet contracted the virus from a mosquito in the country; instead, all known cases involved men and women who recently traveled to areas where the virus is active, including The Caribbean and Latin America.
Already, public health officials in places like Florida and Texas are actively preparing for a worst case scenario.
It’s possible that the mosquitos that spread the virus could become active in the American south, and residents are being urged to eliminate any sources of stagnant water on their property, including bird feeders or spare tires. That’s also bad news for the 113.5 million Americans who spend time gardening in the spring and summer, but so far the virus hasn’t been transmitted by any mosquitoes within the U.S. border.
Still, the disease can cause serious birth defects in children, and it can be sexually transmitted for months following infection.
Right now, Florida hospitals and healthcare providers have enough testing kits to test 6,552 people for the Zika virus, and an additional 1,276 people for Zika-related antibodies. Laboratory testing company Quest Diagnostics recently received emergency approval to fast track a new Zika blood test, which the company says will be available this spring.
“We should actually be concerned because there’s a lot of unknowns about the virus,” Orlando physician Dr. Jamin Brahmbhatt told WESH.
Dr. Brahmbhatt also offered a more hopeful diagnosis for worried Florida residents, adding, “This is something that we will definitely fight and definitely win the battle against, just like we do a lot of other illnesses.”
