On Thursday, state health officials confirmed 84 pregnant women in Florida have displayed evidence for Zika infection and are being monitored as local transmission continues in the state.
At an emergency Zika meeting held at Miami Beach City Hall on Wednesday, Christine Curry, MD, PhD, an assistant professor of obstetrics and gynecology with the University of Miami, confirmed that a second baby in Miami-Dade County was born with congenital Zika at Jackson Memorial Hospital in Miami. Dr. Curry did not disclose the date of birth or the severity of the infant's symptoms. The first time health officials revealed a baby in Miami-Dade County was born with the virus was on Aug. 26, according to NBC Miami.
"Zika is a thing. Zika is real, and while we don't understand it fully, that is not a reason to dismiss its impact," said Dr. Curry.
As of Thursday, the Florida Health Department has confirmed 604 Zika infections in the state, 56 of which are not associated with travel.
After a seven week recess, the House and the Senate returned to session on Tuesday and once again failed to reach a compromise on a bill to allocate emergency funds to combat Zika in the U.S. states and territories. Florida is currently the only state experiencing local transmission of Zika.
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