Zika Virus Could Impact Two More Florida Counties

US health officials confirmed that Zika virus could affect residents in two more counties in Florida, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said in a press release.

WASHINGTON (Sputnik) — Zika virus started spreading locally in July 2016 and affected more than 1100 individuals.

"CDC has identified a potential risk of Zika virus transmission starting on June, 15, 2016, to present in Miami-Dade County, Florida, that also could affect risk for residents of Broward and Palm Beach counties," the release stated on Monday.

Additional analysis showed that constant traveling between the affected areas led to the virus local transmissions.

The agency added that the increased risk is particularly relevant for semen because of evidence demonstrating that Zika can stay in this reproductive tissue, which is greatly concerning because of the virus can cause severe neurological disorders in unborn children.

The current Zika outbreak started in Brazil in the spring of 2015. The virus is transmitted by infected Aedes mosquitoes.

In November, the World Health Organization (WHO) ended the public health emergency for Zika but still considers the virus a high priority. At present, there is no available vaccine for the Zika virus.