CDC Declares Victory Against Zika In Florida Neighborhood, Lifts Travel Advisory
No new cases of Zika have been reported in Wynwood since early August. The attention is now shifting to Miami Beach, where more mosquitoes have tested positive for the virus.
The Washington Post:
CDC Lifts Zika Travel Advisory For One Florida Zone
Federal health officials on Monday lifted their Zika travel advisory that had urged pregnant women to avoid an area north of downtown Miami called Wynwood. They made the call because no new cases of locally transmitted virus have been reported there since early August. The announcement from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention comes after Florida Gov. Rick Scott announced earlier in the day that no evidence of Zika's spread has been documented in the Wynwood area for 45 days. The CDC's travel advisory remains in effect for the state's other active zone of transmission, Miami Beach. The area covered by that travel warning was tripled in size late Friday to cover nearly two-thirds of that tourist hot spot. (Sun, 9/19)
The Associated Press:
Miami's Wynwood Cleared Of Zika; Focus Shifts To Miami Beach
With health authorities declaring a win against Zika in Miami's Wynwood arts district, their emphasis shifts to the remaining transmission zone on nearby Miami Beach, where residents have objected to the aerial pesticide spraying crediting with halting infections. No new cases of Zika have been reported in Wynwood since early August, and on Monday health officials declared it to be no longer a zone of active local transmission. (9/20)
Tampa Bay Times:
Gov. Rick Scott Declares Wynwood Area 'Zika-Free'; CDC Says 'Don't Let Guard Down'
"Everybody should be coming back here and enjoying themselves," [Gov. Rick] Scott said during a news conference at Wynwood Walls, an outdoor venue showcasing colorful street murals, where he was joined by business owners, elected officials and representatives from the health department. (Smiley and Chang, 9/19)
Morning Consult:
CDC Eases Zika Guidance For Miami-Dade County Neighborhood
Pregnant women and their partners should continue to take steps to prevent mosquito bites when visiting the area and may consider delaying nonessential travel to the county if they are concerned about potential exposure to the Zika virus, the CDC now says. (McIntire, 9/19)
Health News Florida:
More Mosquitoes Test Positive For Zika In Miami Beach
The Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services said Friday that another mosquito sample in Miami-Dade County has tested positive for the Zika virus. The positive test came from the same area of Miami Beach where four other samples have previously tested positive for Zika, department officials said. The agency said it has taken 3,200 samples, consisting of more than 52,000 mosquitoes, since May. (9/19)
The New York Times:
Predict Zika’s Spread? It’s Hard Enough To Count The Cases
How far will the Zika outbreak spread, and for how long? Predicting Zika’s course in the continental United States is difficult. Health experts have never confronted a virus quite like this one: a mild infection that can nonetheless devastate unborn infants, and that is transmitted by both mosquitoes and sex. Even tracking cases is hard because so few cause symptoms. (McNeil, 9/19)
San Jose Mercury News:
As Zika Spreads In California, Leaders Call For More Money, Education
California needs to be better prepared for the Zika virus and do more to educate people about how it spreads, especially since federal funding has stalled, state and local health officials determined last week. The call for a massive education campaign came during a town hall meeting in downtown Los Angeles on Thursday, sponsored by state Sen. Ed Hernandez, D-West Covina. Hernandez said concerns about Zika are growing, especially since the number of people who have it in the Golden State continues to climb. As of Friday, 282 people had tested positive for Zika, or 22 more cases than the week before, according to the California Department of Public Health. (Abram, 9/19)
