Florida the first state with local transmission of Zika virus, what that means for Rhode Island

By Ana Bottary

abottary@abc6.com

@anabottary

Health officials out of Florida say as of Friday, there are a total of 4 people that likely have the Zika virus as a result of a mosquito bite.
 
"This means Florida has become the first state in the nation to have local transmission of the Zika virus,” says Florida’s Governor Rick Scott.
 
The new fear, that Zika transmitting mosquitoes could now be in the U.S. however the Rhode Island Department of Health is easing the worry.

"The species that are transmitting Zika have never been established in Rhode Island, so we are very confident that we are not going to see local transmission here in Rhode Island,” says spokesperson Joseph Wendelken.
 
Up to now there have been 16 travel associated cases of Zika virus in Rhode Island. While a local case is unlikely here, Health Officials say they work with D.E.M to test and watch the mosquito populations closely. The biggest concern, expecting mothers, whose baby could be born with serious birth defects as a result.

"If people are pregnant or are thinking of getting pregnant it’s really a good idea to postpone travel to those countries,” Wendelken says.

Adding, mosquito prevention such as using bug spray with DEET, making sure window screens are secure, and getting rid of any still water, is key.

"There is a test, and we are actually testing in Rhode Island. In terms of research, there is a lot of research being done in the United States and globally to look at different treatment mechanisms for the virus,” Wendelken adds.

The R.I. Department of Health says the news out of Florida today was not a huge shock. National Health Officials had predicted there could possibly be local transmission in Florida due to the breeds of mosquitoes there.

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