ORLANDO, Fla. — Twelve cases of the Zika virus have been found in Florida, and the state has declared a public health emergency.
No local mosquitoes have been found with the virus, and all of the reported cases are travel-related.
The five counties in which the virus has been reported are Miami-Dade, Broward, Santa Rosa, Lee and Hillsborough.
"I'm quite worried about the situation. I mean, I'm going (to Brazil) for one week," native Brazilian Luciene Mangels said.
Mangels said she has friends in Brazil who have been infected by the virus.
"I'm going to stay inside the apartment, don't go anywhere at night and cover over with repellent," Mangels said.
The biggest risk is to pregnant mothers. The virus is believed to cause microcephaly, a condition that causes underdeveloped heads and brains in babies.
"You have no strength (and) no energy. Not to even sit down. All you want to do is lay down and sleep," Zika patient Lizzie Morales said.
Morales said he was bitten by an infected mosquito in El Salvador.
Symptoms include fever, rash, joint pain and irritating eye redness, only last a few days and are usually mild. Most people don't feel bad enough to get medical attention.
“(The) bottom-line message to (mothers) is the chances of them having this affect their pregnancy in Florida (is) extremely small,” Dr. Kyle Crofoot, an OB-GYN, said.
The state is requesting at least 1,000 Zika test kits so doctors can test pregnant mothers who have traveled to affected countries or show symptoms of the virus.
Cox Media Group
