Fight against Zika virus continues in Northeast Florida

3rd case of Zika virus confirmed in St. Johns County Friday

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – The fight against the Zika virus continues in Northeast Florida as the Florida Department of Health investigates what could be the first two non-travel related cases in South Florida.

On Friday, the health department also announced 19 additional travel-related cases of the Zika virus, including an additional case in St. Johns County.

It was the third case diagnosed in St. Johns County and brought the total number of cases in Florida to 306, not involving pregnant women. There are 47 cases involving pregnant women. 

As the department’s investigations into the possible non-travel related Zika virus cases in Miami-Dade and Broward counties continue, city leaders in Jacksonville said they're taking the issue very seriously. 

"We need to make sure that with Zika, West Nile, with any number of insect born viruses, we are in Florida. We are in Jacksonville. It's a public safety issue," Mayor Lenny Curry said.

This week, Curry announced that $1 million in his budget proposal would go toward adding a new helicopter to the fleet to combat the virus. 

"We have mosquito control helicopters, two of them that are old, that it's difficult to get replacement parts. They are uninsurable. We can't even get insurance on them. So the budget that I rolled out this week, consistent with my focus on public safety, includes a mosquito control helicopter," Curry said. 

But fight to stop Zika doesn't end with spraying. Area organizations are also putting new methods into practice to make sure the number of cases don't increase.

RELATED: OneBlood to begin testing donations for Zika virus

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration gave the go-ahead to Florida-based blood bank, OneBlood, to begin testing portions of their blood collections for the virus. 

"Once we had approval, we began putting the test in place in the blood center, which involved writing processes and procedures, training our staff, making the necessary computer changes," said Dr. Rita Reik, chief medical officer for OneBlood.

Reik said she will be "watchfully waiting" to see if there is confirmation that the two cases in South Florida are not related to travel.

"If we get alerted that there is an active case, anywhere in the state of Florida or any of our service areas, we would immediately report it to all of the appropriate agencies. Then we would launch our Zika plan," Reik said. 

Reik told News4Jax Friday that the Zika plan has been in the works for a year. If there is an active case of local transmission, she said, the organization would either stop collecting in the affected area or simply do Zika screening testing in the affect area.

One option would be picked based on the situation at hand, Reik said.

The immediate plan is to begin testing portions of their collections for the Zika virus to allow hospitals to have access to the products for high-risk patients, such as pregnant women, and that will expand based on hospital usage.

OneBlood will begin that testing on Aug. 1. 

The health department also encourages people to wear insect repellent with DEET during the hours of dusk and dawn and remove standing water, because it could attract mosquitoes. For broken fountains or wells, drop chlorine tablets in them to stop mosquitoes from breeding.