Republican Gov. Rick Scott announced Monday that the Florida health department has identified ten more people who likely contracted the Zika virus through mosquito bites in the state, bringing the total number of locally transmitted cases to 14.
Scott called on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to activate its emergency response team to assist Florida’s health department in containing mosquitos and investigating the spread of the virus.
The Florida health department believes the Zika transmissions are only occurring in one small area in Miami-Dade County, Scott said.
The United Kingdom issued a travel advisory Sunday encouraging pregnant women to avoid non-essential travel to Florida amid the outbreak.
More than 1,650 cases of Zika have already been identified in America, but the virus’ newest spread in Florida marks the first locally transmitted cases in the continental U.S. not stemming from foreign travel or sexual contact.
The CDC director said Friday the federal government did not have plans to recommend limited travel to Florida.
