Zika Update: Pregnant Women Advised Against Traveling To Miami-Dade County

Pregnant women have been advised to avoid unnecessary travel to Florida’s Miami-Dade county due to concerns over the Zika virus.

Zika In Miami-Dade

Miami-Dade Country, which holds popular tourist spot South Beach, has become another no-go zone for expecting women. So far, five cases of Zika have been transmitted by mosquitoes in Miami Beach. Those infected include three men and two women. Of the five, three had traveled to Miami – from New York, Texas and Taiwan – and two are Floridians, reported The New York Times.

“Pregnant women and their sexual partners who are concerned about potential Zika virus exposure may also consider postponing nonessential travel to all parts of Miami-Dade County,” the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said in a statement.

The CDC added that though the Zika cases have been concentrated in Miami Beach and Wynwood, “It is possible that other neighborhoods in Miami-Dade County have active Zika transmission that is not yet apparent” due to the Zika infection’s two-week incubation period that leads to late diagnoses.

Governor Rick Scott attempted to reassure both Florida residents and prospective travelers that the Zika problem in his state is not as big as some might suspect.

“We have two small areas. One less than a mile, and we’ve already been able to reduce the footprint. We have another area now that’s 1.5 miles on Miami Beach,” Scott said while announcing the travel advisory. “That’s out of a state that takes 15 hours to drive from Key West to Pensacola, so let’s put things in perspective.”