Florida Zika Tally Hits 857; Hillsborough County Has 3 New Cases

HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY, FL — The state of Florida’s total Zika virus case count rose to 857 Tuesday with the announcement of 11 new travel-related and four new non-travel related cases. Three of the travel-related cases involve residents from Hillsborough County.

According to the Florida Department of Health, the other new travel-related cases involve four residents of Orange County, two from Osceola County, one from Seminole County and one involving a pregnant woman. The four non-travel related cases are all in Miami-Dade County with three associated with the ongoing Miami Beach investigation.

“The department is investigating the other case to determine where exposure occurred in Miami-Dade,” an email from DOH said.

Door-to-door outreach and targeted testing related to non-travel related cases remains ongoing in Pinellas, Palm Beach and Miami-Dade counties, DOH added.

Zika is a mosquito-borne illness that presents with a fever, joint pain and rash. The illness typically goes away within a week, but some cases may require hospitalization. Zika may also be spread through sexual contact, health officials say.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has confirmed that the Zika virus is responsible for causing severe defects in unborn children, including microcephaly, which leaves babies with abnormally small heads and often with brains that do not develop properly.

As of Tuesday, Sept. 20, Florida’s Zika case breakdown is as follows:

• Travel-related – 671
• Non-travel related – 89
• Infections involving pregnant women – 87
• Out of state cases – 10

Travel-related cases in the Tampa Bay area have been confirmed as follows:

• Hernando County – 4
• Hillsborough County – 22
• Manatee County – 4
• Pasco County – 8
• Pinellas County – 16
• Polk County – 23
• Sarasota County – 4

Pinellas County has also had one non-travel related case confirmed by DOH.

To help residents resolve questions about the virus and its spread, the state of Florida has set up a Zika Virus Information Hotline at 1-855-622-6735. More information may also be found on the DOH website.

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