Mosquito control crews will not be able to conduct aerial spraying in the Miami Beach area where local Zika transmission has been reported, according Tom Frieden, MD, the director of the CDC.
Aerial spraying is reportedly not an option for this part of the city due to the high-rise buildings and strong winds. The tactic was previously applied to the Wynwood neighborhood in Miami where local Zika transmission was first reported in the United States.
"Miami Beach does have a series of characteristics that make it particularly challenging," said Dr. Frieden. "The inability to use aerial spraying there means that we'll be restricted to ground-based technologies like backpack spraying. The large number of people, and the high turnover of people means that there could be ongoing people who are exposed, and the amount of exposed skin also makes it harder to reduce the risk of infections there."
As of Aug. 11, there have been 16 babies born in the U.S. with Zika-related birth defects.
According to Dr. Frieden, there are more than 20,000 pregnant women currently residing in Miami-Dade County.
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