CHICAGO/NEW YORK (Reuters) – US health officials on Monday recommended pregnant women avoid travelling to a 2.6 square km area of Miami with active Zika virus transmission after the state of Florida identified 10 more cases caused by local mosquitoes.
The US Centres for Disease Control and Prevention on a conference call with reporters said local mosquito control efforts have not worked as well as hoped. It said pregnant women who live or work in the mixed-use area north of downtown Miami and their partners should make every effort to avoid mosquito bites.
The CDC said people returning from the affected area of Florida should use mosquito repellent for three weeks to protect their families and guard against further transmission at home. It also recommended that women avoid getting pregnant for up to eight weeks after returning from the affected area. The agency said that pregnant women who live in or travelled to the affected area after June 15 be tested for Zika.