Zika case reported in Sarasota County

A Sarasota County resident contracted the Zika virus while traveling, marking the first local case of the infection, the Florida Department of Health announced today.

As a result, Sarasota County has been added to the state’s Declaration of Public Health Emergency, issued earlier this year after the virus first came to Florida.

The declaration mandates a meeting that includes, at minimum, the county health department, the County Commission, the Tourist Development Council, the county medical society, emergency management and the airport authority. Local leaders will discuss mosquito control and coordinate public outreach strategies.

County officials are also tasked with identifying high-risk populations in Sarasota, and the county health officer must submit an action plan to the state health office.

To date, there have been 499 cases of Zika in Florida. All but 28 of those cases have been travel-related, and officials believe all cases originating in Florida can be traced to the Wynwood neighborhood in Miami-Dade County.

The virus is mostly transmitted via mosquito bites, though it can also be transmitted through sexual activity. Zika symptoms are typically mild, including low-grade fever, rashes and joint pain. When the virus is passed from a pregnant woman to her fetus, however, Zika can produce certain birth defects.

The state remains confident that Florida will avoid large outbreaks of the disease, according to Sarah Revell, the media and marketing manager with the Florida Department of Health.

“One major reason for this is that we have better housing with air conditioning and intact screens that protect us from being bitten by mosquitoes in our homes,” Revell wrote in an email.

Revell also provided some information on how residents can prevent the spread of the virus. Draining standing water, covering skin with long clothing, wearing mosquito repellant and keeping screens on doors and windows are some strategies for avoiding the proliferation of Zika.