Orange County, Fla. — Two new cases of the Zika virus have been confirmed Friday, according to the Florida Health Department.
That brings the total number of cases in the state to 26.
All cases are still associated with travel.
There are three cases in central Florida, one in Brevard County, Osceola County and Orange County.
There have been no locally-acquired cases of Zika in Florida.
Officials urge residents to drain standing water weekly.
The type of mosquito the county is worried about is a container breeder, which is why officials are looking at illegal dump sites to clean up.
“This mosquito is kind of unique since it only produces in containers. So we’re doing a little bit extra, and mostly that’s getting to the public the message that they can make a difference,” said Chris Richmond, of Brevard County Mosquito Control.
The county is also cleaning up areas at the end of Satellite Boulevard to remove potential mosquito breeding grounds.
Officials said that detecting Zika through the Sentinel Chicken Program really isn’t an option.
The mosquito that carries the virus isn’t a bird feeder and prefers primates, like humans.
On Wednesday, Gov. Rick Scott discussed resources available for that.
“We purchased over 4,000 kits to test if you have Zika now. We’ve gotten over 1,000 kits out of the CDC to test if you ever had Zika,” Scott said.
In most people, the virus is mild, with symptoms like low-grade fever, rash and joint pain.
But an association has been made between the virus and an increase in the number of newborns with a rare neurological condition in countries experiencing Zika virus outbreaks.
In addition to cleanup and treatment efforts, the county is spreading the work on how residents can protect themselves from mosquito borne illness.
More Info: Zika virus FAQ
Number of Cases
Alachua
1
Brevard
1
Broward
4
Hillsborough
3
Lee
3
Miami-Dade
10
Orange
1
Osceola
1
Santa Rosa
1
St. Johns
1
Total
26
Cox Media Group
