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Page 10 The Skanner August 3, 2016 News CDC Warns Pregnant Women Against Zika-Stricken Part of Miami By Kelli Kennedy and Josh Replogle Associated Press MIAMI — Government health oi- cials warned pregnant women Monday to avoid a Zika-stricken part of Miami and told couples who have been there recently to put of having children for at least two months, ater the number of people feared infected through mos- quito bites in the U.S. climbed to 14. In its highly unusual and perhaps un- precedented travel warning, the Cen- ters for Disease Control and Prevention also said expectant mothers should get tested for the virus if they have visited the neighborhood since mid-June. All 14 cases are thought to have oc- curred in Miami’s Wynwood arts dis- trict, a trendy, fast-gentrifying neigh- borhood of warehouses, art galleries, restaurants and boutiques. Gov. Rick Scott asked for a CDC emer- gency response team to help Florida combat Zika, which has been sweeping “ that mosquitoes have apparently start- ed spreading Zika on the U.S. mainland, citing four cases they strongly believe were caused by bites. Ten more cases were announced Monday, even though Florida authorities have yet to ind any mosquitoes actually carrying the vi- rus. CDC oicials said they could not re- member another time in the 70-year history of the disease-ighting agency when it told members of the public not to travel someplace in the U.S. Zika infections in pregnant women can cause severe brain-related birth defects, including extremely small skulls. The global outbreak has led to more than 1,800 serious defects. The virus can linger in the blood and urine for weeks, and has been found in sperm for months. As a result, the CDC said men and women who have re- cently been in the afected area should wait at least eight weeks before trying to conceive a child. And men who have CDC oicials said they could not remember another time in the 70-year history of the dis- ease-ighting agency when it told members of the public not to travel someplace in the U.S. Latin America and the Caribbean in re- cent months and now may be gaining a long-dreaded foothold in the U.S. The White House said a team will be sent quickly. Health oicials last Friday announced had symptoms of Zika should wait at least six months, the CDC said. The travel warning covers an area of about one square mile in Wynwood to the east of Interstate 95 and south of I-195. It’s large enough, health oicials WHOLESALE PRICES • OPEN TO THE PUBLIC When were out, WE'RE OUT! Interstate Meat Company Made to order Hamburger Paties 10# OR GREAT F ! BBQs Quick Frozen 5/1, 4/1, 3/1 $24.99/cs ! JUST IN FLETCHER’S Black Forest Ham 4/6# $1.49/lb Very unique and at a great price! 231 SE Alder, Portland, OR 97214 • 503-238-1360 Hours: Monday - Saturday 8am - 4pm AP PHOTO/ALAN DIAZ All 14 cases are thought to have occurred in Miami’s rapidly-gentrifying Wynwood arts district A Miami-Dade County mosquito control worker sprays around a home in the Wynwood area of Miami on Monday, Aug. 1, 2016. The CDC has issued a new advisory that says pregnant women should not travel a Zika-stricken part of Miami, and pregnant women who live there should take steps to prevent mosquito bites and sexual spread of the virus. said, to provide a bufer around the suspected hot zone. The tropical mos- quito that spreads Zika travels less than 200 yards in its lifetime. Dr. Peter Hotez, a tropical medicine expert at the Baylor College of Medi- cine in Texas, said the CDC should be more cautious and expand the travel advisory to all of Miami-Dade County. “If you’re pregnant or think you might be pregnant, avoid travel to Mi- ami, and possibly elsewhere in South Florida,” he said. “I’m guessing most women who are pregnant are doing that. I don’t think they’re sitting around waiting for the CDC to split hairs and ine-tune it to a speciic area.” CDC Director Dr. Tom Frieden said the narrowly drawn warning was dic- tated by science and not by any concern for Florida’s crucial tourism industry. He said it was based on the nation’s ability to contain previous outbreaks of other diseases carried by the same mosquito. “There wouldn’t be a technical or sci- entiic basis to give a broader recom- mendation,” Frieden said. U.S. health oicials have said all along that while isolated clusters of Zika may occur in this country, they do not ex- pect major outbreaks like those seen in Latin America, because of better sanitation and mosquito control and widespread use of air conditioners and window screens. At the same time, health oicials ex- pressed concern that they continue to see “moderately high” numbers of the type of mosquito that carries Zika, de- spite aggressive use of insecticides in Florida. “This is a very diicult mosquito to control,” Frieden said. Read the rest of this story at TheSkanner.com
