Miami’s hippest neighborhood is now considered ground zero for mosquito-borne infections of the Zika virus within our 50 states, according to experts at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), which recently sent a task force into Florida to address the latest development in the epidemic, Fox News reports.

Thus far, more than 1,650 people in the mainland United States have been infected with the Zika virus; nearly all of them came down with the infection while traveling abroad. But four people in Miami’s Wynwood district are believed to be the first ones to contract the virus while within this country.

Some local residents bought mosquito nets and repellents and stopped enjoying alfresco dining at the neighborhood’s many outdoor cafés. In addition, people sprayed pesticides, set traps and removed standing water from around local homes.

U.S. health officials said that because of better mosquito-control practices in this country, they don’t expect widespread outbreaks of Zika in the United States like those seen in Brazil and other parts of Latin America. Nevertheless, the CDC urged people in the area to take extra precautions to keep mosquitoes out of their homes.

Additionally, some medical experts advised pregnant women not travel to the Miami area as the virus can cause severe birth defects in unborn children. But as yet, the CDC hasn’t issued the same advice.

U.S. researchers said an effective vaccine for Zika virus is still months, if not years, away.


To learn more about the current medical research being done around the epidemic, click here.