First Cases of Zika Virus Contracted By Mosquitoes in US

Four people in the Miami area are the first in the U.S. to contract the Zika virus from a mosquito inside the country, Florida officials told the Associated Press. 

So far, 1,650 cases of Zika have been reported in the country, but the Miami patients are the first who did not catch the virus by either traveling to a country where there is an outbreak or through sex with an infected person, AP reported.

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Although there has been no official warning for tourists to stay away from Florida, there seem to be fewer people visiting the popular arts district of Wynwood, where Gov. Rick Scott said the infections originated, according to AP.

Florida’s agriculture commissioner ordered that there be aggressive mosquito control efforts within 200 yards of the local patients’ homes, AP said.

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On Friday, the director of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention told AP that there were no plans to discourage tourists from visiting South Florida.

Thus far, no mosquitoes have tested positive for Zika in Florida, AP reported.

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