On Thursday, Gov. Rick Scott and Florida Surgeon General Dr. John Armstrong urged the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to take precautions as Florida readies to face the Zika virus.
With news emerging that there were three more cases of Zika in the Sunshine State, Scott asked Armstrong to extend a public health emergency to Broward County in addition to the ones declared in Hillsborough, Lee, Miami-Dade and Santa Rosa counties on Wednesday. Scott stressed that the three new cases were all travel related and did not involve pregnant women.
In parts of South America, particularly Brazil, mosquitos have transmitted the virus which has been reported to cause birth defects by biting pregnant women.
Scott asked the CDC for at least 1,000 antibody tests to test for Zika as the state currently has the ability to conduct less than 500 tests. The governor also urged the CDC to conduct conference calls training Florida medical personnel and hospital employees on how to prevent Zika.
“With over 20 million residents and 100 million tourists, we must stay ahead of the possible spread of the Zika virus and take immediate action to ensure Florida is prepared,” Scott said. “That’s why I am calling on the CDC to supply at least 1,000 antibody test kits, of which we currently have only 475, and also conduct a conference call with our hospital workers within the next two weeks so they are prepared to properly treat patients and protect public health. While Florida does have 448 kits to test active cases (different than antibody testing kits), I am authorizing the Department of Health to immediately purchase 4,000 more to ensure our state has the resources to quickly respond.”
Scott’s executive order from Wednesday ensures Armstrong contacts Florida Agriculture Commissioner Adam Putnam to ready mosquito spraying in the five impacted counties. On Thursday, Scott asked the Agriculture Department to see how much it has left for mosquito spraying
“Zika virus is spread to people through mosquito bites,” the CDC notes on its website. “The most common symptoms of Zika virus disease are fever, rash, joint pain, and conjunctivitis (red eyes). The illness is usually mild with symptoms lasting from several days to a week. Severe disease requiring hospitalization is uncommon. In May 2015, the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) issued an alert regarding the first confirmed Zika virus infection in Brazil. The outbreak in Brazil led to reports of Guillain-Barré syndrome and pregnant women giving birth to babies with birth defects and poor pregnancy outcomes.
“About 1 in 5 people infected with Zika will get sick,” the CDC notes. “For people who get sick, the illness is usually mild. For this reason, many people might not realize they have been infected...Symptoms typically begin 2 to 7 days after being bitten by an infected mosquito.”
Reach Kevin Derby at kderby@sunshinestatenews.com or follow him on Twitter: @KevinDerbySSN
