US state of Florida free of Zika transmission

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said in a statement on Friday that the last remaining Zika zone of South Miami Beach in Florida is no longer considered to be an area of active transmission of the virus.

"There have been no new cases of local Zika virus transmission identified in South Miami Beach for more than 45 days, suggesting that the risk of Zika virus infection is no longer greater than in the rest of (Florida's) Miami-Dade County," the CDC said.

South Miami Beach is now designated as a Zika cautionary area, it said.

"Florida's rapid response and comprehensive mosquito control program has allowed them to interrupt Zika transmission, but we must stay vigilant and also take what we have learned and be prepared for next season," CDC Director Tom Frieden said in the statement.

As of December 8, a total of 4,575 cases of Zika, including 185 locally transmitted mosquito-borne cases in Florida, have been reported in the continental United States and Hawaii, according to the U.S. health agency.

Florida became the first U.S. state to see locally transmitted Zika virus in July. Last month, Texas reported detecting Zika infection in a woman, making it the second U.S. state to have a locally transmitted Zika case.

source: Xinhua