New Travel Related Zika Case Reported In Escambia County

July 28, 2016

A new travel-related case of the Zika virus has been reported in Escambia County by the Florida Department of Health. It is the second travel-related case in the county this year.

The Escambia County case was one of 17 new travel related cases announced Tuesday and the only new case reported in the Florida panhandle. A case was previous reported in Santa Rosa County in February.

Florida health officials said Wednesday they are investigating two additional Zika cases that might not be linked to travel outside the state. The announcement means health officials are now looking at four cases that might not be travel-related — a potential sign that mosquitoes could be infecting people with the virus in Florida. Two of the cases are in Miami-Dade County, while two are in Broward County.

The number of Floridians diagnosed with the virus has steadily climbed, but until recently health officials said all of the infections had resulted from travel outside the state. As of Wednesday, the state had 328 cases that did not involve pregnant women, with 96 of those cases in Miami-Dade and 55 in Broward. The state said it also has monitored 53 pregnant women who showed evidence of Zika, though it does not release the counties where those women live.

The health department urges Floridians to drain standing water weekly, no matter how seemingly small. A couple drops of water in a bottle cap can be a breeding location for mosquitoes. Residents and visitors also need to use repellents when enjoying the Florida outdoors.

Comments

2 Responses to “New Travel Related Zika Case Reported In Escambia County”

  1. Paula Saunders on July 30th, 2016 8:06 am

    I am a true American who feels a wall will not solve our problems. The U.S. zika virus cases have usually derived from U.S. citizens who have traveled outside the U.S. and returned with the disease. Building a wall will not solve our problems.

  2. Matthew Leon Willis on July 29th, 2016 2:58 am

    True Americans need to rally around Donald Trump to keep diseased foreigners from entering this country. My family immigrated here but none of us brought diseases with us. It’s time we build the wall then make it 50 ft taller.