<!-- mobian-agent-page publisher="time" canonical="https://time.com/4430449/florida-confirms-first-cases-of-zika-caught-from-local-mosquitoes/" -->

---
---

![](https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt53baa5ef060bfc47/6988a04dcd1bba6e52701be3/gettyimages-537671534.jpg?branch=production&width=3840&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9)


# Florida Confirms First Cases of Zika Caught From Local Mosquitoes


by 

[Rosalie Chan](https://time.com/author/rosalie-chan/)


## Rosalie Chan


Jul 29, 2016 2:33 PM UTC

![Brazil Continues Battle Against Zika Virus Ahead Of Olympic Games](https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt53baa5ef060bfc47/6988a04dcd1bba6e52701be3/gettyimages-537671534.jpg?branch=production&width=3840&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=3:2)

RECIFE, BRAZIL - JUNE 02: Aedes aegypti mosquitos are seen in a lab at the Fiocruz Institute on June 2, 2016 in Recife, Brazil. Microcephaly is a birth defect linked to the mosquito-borne Zika virus where infants are born with abnormally small heads. The Brazilian city of Recife and surrounding Pernambuco state remain the epicenter of the Zika virus outbreak, which has now spread to many countries in the Americas. A group of health experts recently called for the Rio 2016 Olympic Games to be postponed or cancelled due to the Zika threat but the WHO (World Health Organization) rejected the proposal. (Photo by Mario Tama/Getty Images)

RECIFE, BRAZIL - JUNE 02: Aedes aegypti mosquitos are seen in a lab at the Fiocruz Institute on June 2, 2016 in Recife, Brazil. Microcephaly is a birth defect linked to the mosquito-borne Zika virus where infants are born with abnormally small heads. The Brazilian city of Recife and surrounding Pernambuco state remain the epicenter of the Zika virus outbreak, which has now spread to many countries in the Americas. A group of health experts recently called for the Rio 2016 Olympic Games to be postponed or cancelled due to the Zika threat but the WHO (World Health Organization) rejected the proposal. (Photo by Mario Tama/Getty Images)Mario Tama—Getty Images

by 

[Rosalie Chan](https://time.com/author/rosalie-chan/)


## Rosalie Chan


Jul 29, 2016 2:33 PM UTC

[Florida](http://time.com/4429314/zika-fda-stop-blood-donations-florida/?iid=sr-link7)‘s Department of Health announced Friday that four people infected with the [Zika virus](http://time.com/topic/zika-virus/?iid=sr-link8) probably caught it from local mosquitoes.

One woman and three men were infected with the Zika virus in Miami-Dade and Broward counties.

Florida’s Department of Health believes that the transmissions of the Zika virus are occurring in one small area in Miami-Dade County. This is the only area where the department is testing for local transmissions of Zika.

Florida had its first travel-related case of Zika in February, and the Department of Health started [investigating the possible non-travel related cases of Zika](http://time.com/4414677/zika-virus-florida/) in Miami-Dade and Broward counties last week. Florida Governor Rick Scott has directed the Department of Health to contract pest control companies to control mosquitoes in the area.

“While no mosquitoes have tested positive for the Zika virus, DOH is aggressively testing people in this area to ensure there are no other cases,” Scott said [in a statement](http://www.flgov.com/2016/07/29/gov-scott-with-likely-mosquito-borne-zika-cases-state-will-use-full-resources-to-protect-floridians/).

Scott also said that Florida plans to put every resource available to fight the spread of Zika in Florida, and he says people in Florida should take precautions by eliminating standing water and wearing insect repellant. Scott also urges expecting mothers to contact their doctors for guidance and to acquire a Zika Prevention kit.

Florida Confirms First Cases of Local Zika Transmission

```json
[{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/4430449/florida-confirms-first-cases-of-zika-caught-from-local-mosquitoes/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/4430449/florida-confirms-first-cases-of-zika-caught-from-local-mosquitoes/"},"headline":"Florida Confirms First Cases of Zika Caught From Local Mosquitoes","datePublished":"2016-07-29T14:33:03.000Z","dateModified":"2026-02-22T23:39:23.429Z","description":"The four cases are likely to be from mosquito bites","url":"https://time.com/4430449/florida-confirms-first-cases-of-zika-caught-from-local-mosquitoes/","keywords":["Zika","Public Health","global health"],"thumbnailUrl":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt53baa5ef060bfc47/6988a04dcd1bba6e52701be3/gettyimages-537671534.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Rosalie Chan","jobTitle":null,"url":"https://time.com/author/rosalie-chan/"}],"articleSection":"Health","image":[{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt53baa5ef060bfc47/6988a04dcd1bba6e52701be3/gettyimages-537671534.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","width":1200,"height":675,"headline":"Brazil Continues Battle Against Zika Virus Ahead Of Olympic Games","caption":"Brazil Continues Battle Against Zika Virus Ahead Of Olympic Games","creditText":"Mario Tama—Getty Images","representativeOfPage":true}],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Time","url":"https://time.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://time.com/images/logo.png","width":528,"height":156},"foundingDate":"March 3, 1923","sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/time","https://www.instagram.com/time/?hl=en","https://twitter.com/time","https://www.pinterest.com/timemagazine"]}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"/section/health/","name":"Health"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@id":"/tag/zika/","name":"Zika"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/4430449/florida-confirms-first-cases-of-zika-caught-from-local-mosquitoes/","name":"Florida Confirms First Cases of Zika Caught From Local Mosquitoes"}}]}]
```

