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WASHINGTON, July 22 (Xinhua) -- Health officials in Florida are investigating a second possible Zika case spread by locally infected mosquitoes in the continental United States, the state's Department of Health said Friday, days after it reported the first potential case.
The new "possible non-travel related Zika" case occurred in the state's Broward County. The investigation into the first possible case in Miami-Dade County is still ongoing.
"To date, approximately 200 people have been interviewed and tested as part of the department's investigations and we await additional lab results," the department said in a statement.
The department also said it's conducting door-to-door outreach with mosquito control in the areas surrounding the residences, work places and frequently visited locations of both suspect cases.
"Residents and visitors are urged to participate in requests for blood and urine samples by the department in the areas of investigation," it said. "These results will help the department determine the number of people affected."
Meanwhile, a medical epidemiologist from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Marc Fischer, arrived in Florida Friday to assist in the department's investigation with mapping and testing methodology
Zika spreads to people primarily through mosquito bites, and it can also be spread sexually.
More than 1,400 cases of Zika have been reported in the continental United States, but nearly all are travel-associated cases, only a few acquired the virus through sex with people who contracted it while traveling abroad.
Related:
U.S. awards 60 mln USD to states, territories to fight Zika
WASHINGTON, July 21 (Xinhua) -- The U.S. federal government will award a combined total of 60 million U.S. dollars to states and territories to fight the Zika virus, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said Thursday.
The announcement came as health officials in Florida said they were investigating what could be the first Zika infection from a mosquito bite in the continental United States. Full story
U.S. probes possible first case of Zika virus spread by local mosquitoes
WASHINGTON, July 20 (Xinhua) -- U.S. health officials are investigating a possible case of Zika virus spread by local mosquitoes in Florida on Wednesday, as President Barack Obama pledged to provide the state more money to fight the mosquito-borne virus.
The Florida Department of Health did not reveal too much information about the patient, only identifying the new case as a "possible non-travel related case of Zika virus in Miami-Dade County." Full story
