The historic travel advisory issued by the CDC after local Zika transmission was detected in Miami could persist for a year, according to Tom Frieden, MD, CDC director, who recently spoke with The Washington Post about local Zika transmission in Florida.
The CDC travel advisory marks the first time the agency has advised against travel to any region of the continental United States due to an outbreak of infectious disease. The Miami neighborhood where local transmission has occurred, Wynwood, provides unique challenges when it comes to mosquito control.
Sign up for our FREE E-Weekly for more coverage like this sent to your inbox!
"This is a complicated neighborhood," said Dr. Frieden. "It has schools. It has parks. It has industrial areas. It has arts area. It has business and retail...So figuring out how to control mosquitoes there is going to take a lot of creativity and a lot of community engagement because you have to get rid of every drop of standing water."
When dengue fever hit Florida in 2010, it took health officials a year to get the outbreak under control. When asked if a similar scenario was likely to occur regarding Zika, Dr. Frieden told the Post, "We certainly hope that doesn't happen. We saw what happened in the Florida Keys and that did go on for a long time despite extensive efforts."
As of Aug. 3, the CDC has reported 1,825 cases of Zika in the U.S.
More articles on the Zika virus:
Genetically modified mosquitoes approved by FDA to fight Zika in Florida
Aerial spraying begins in Miami as locally transmitted Zika cases reach 15
At least 33 US troops have Zika