April 29, 2016
Tallahassee, Fla.—In an effort to keep Florida residents and visitors safe and aware about the status of the Zika virus, the Florida Department of Health will issue a Zika virus update each week day at 2 p.m. Updates will include a CDC-confirmed Zika case count by county and information to better keep Floridians prepared.
There are two new travel-related cases today with one in Pasco County and one in Orange County. The Declaration of Public Health Emergency has been updated to include Pasco County. Of the cases confirmed in Florida, three cases are still exhibiting symptoms. According to the CDC, symptoms associated with the Zika virus last between seven to 10 days.
Based on CDC guidance, several pregnant women who have traveled to countries with local-transmission of Zika have received antibody testing, and of those, five have tested positive for the Zika virus. The CDC recommends that a pregnant woman with a history of Zika virus and her provider should consider additional ultrasounds. It is recommended that women who are pregnant or thinking of becoming pregnant postpone travel to Zika affected areas.
| County | Number of Cases (all travel related) |
| Alachua | 4 |
| Brevard | 2 |
| Broward | 15 |
| Clay | 1 |
| Collier | 1 |
| Hillsborough | 3 |
| Lee | 4 |
| Miami-Dade | 39 |
| Orange | 6 |
| Osceola | 4 |
| Palm Beach | 5 |
| Pasco | 1 |
| Polk | 3 |
| Santa Rosa | 1 |
| Seminole | 1 |
| St. Johns | 1 |
| Cases involving pregnant women* | 5 |
| Total | 96 |
*Counties of pregnant women will not be shared.
On Feb. 12, Governor Scott directed the State Surgeon General to activate a Zika Virus Information Hotline for current Florida residents and visitors, as well as anyone planning on traveling to Florida in the near future. The hotline, managed by the Department of Health, has assisted 1,559 callers since it launched. The number for the Zika Virus Information Hotline is 1-855-622-6735.
All cases are travel-associated. There have been no locally-acquired cases of Zika in Florida. For more information on the Zika virus, click here.
The 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.
