Florida Zika cases rise to 25 as back-to-school day nears

Additionally, there are 21 new travel-related cases in Florida, including 17 in Broward County, according to the Florida Department of Health.

Although many areas of the USA have the type of mosquito that can become infected with and spread Zika, there have been no reported Zika cases contracted from a mosquito bite in Missouri, according to Clay County health officials.

The statement came at the request of Alejandro García Padilla, governor of the USA commonwealth, where the Zika virus is spreading rapidly, threatening hundreds of pregnant women and their unborn babies and women of childbearing age.

The new cases bring the total number of locally transmitted Zika cases to 25 and the number of travel-related cases to 404. Health officials now believe all Zika virus transmission is occurring within an area less than a square mile in northern Miami.

While Wynwood is still an active transmission area of Zika, four blocks in the Southwest corner of the impacted zone have been cleared, the health department announced, meaning no active transmission of the virus is taking place in that area of the neighborhood.

The US Secretary for Health and Human Services on Friday declared a state of emergency in Puerto Rico because of the widespread transmission of the Zika virus, which poses a “significant threat” to public health. After authorizing an additional $18 million to help health officials conduct mosquito control activities, Scott called on Congress to end their partisan standstill on allocating additional funds for combating Zika, echoing comments made by Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton earlier in the week. He also lambasted Congress and the Obama administration for not providing more support to fight the outbreak. “The president and Congress must work together to get to a solution for all the families across our nation”. However, the House of Representatives failed to pass its own $1.1 billion aid package after Democrats filibustered, arguing that they were left out of negotiations and that the measure would take funding away from other previously funded health programs.