New Zika cases in Miami-Dade, Broward push Florida total to 37 infections
One new Zika case was confirmed in Miami-Dade and one in Broward on Friday as the statewide total number of infections increased to 37 people, the Florida Department of Health said.
Miami-Dade, where 14 residents have tested positive for Zika infection, and Broward, where five people have contracted the virus, have the most confirmed cases of any counties in the state, according to health officials.
All cases of Zika virus in Florida were acquired outside of the state, health officials said, and only four people are still exhibiting symptoms.
Among Florida's confirmed infections, three are pregnant women, considered to be at greatest risk from the virus because of a strongly suspected link between an outbreak of Zika in Brazil and a concurrent spike in microcephaly, a condition in which a newborn’s head is smaller than expected, which can lead to developmental issues.
The Florida Department of Health, which has declared a public health emergency for the 11 counties with confirmed Zika cases, chose not to name the counties where the infected pregnant women live for privacy reasons.
Zika cases in Florida as of Feb. 26 (all acquired outside state)
County | Number of Cases |
Alachua | 1 |
Brevard | 1 |
Broward | 5 |
Hillsborough | 3 |
Lee | 3 |
Miami-Dade | 14 |
Orange | 3 |
Osceola | 1 |
Santa Rosa | 1 |
Seminole | 1 |
St. Johns | 1 |
Cases involving pregnant women* | 3 |
Total | 37 |
Source: Florida Department of Health
This story was originally published February 26, 2016 at 4:25 PM with the headline "New Zika cases in Miami-Dade, Broward push Florida total to 37 infections."