ORANGE PARK, Fla. – Florida health officials on Wednesday reported three additional travel-related cases of the Zika virus, including one involving a Clay County resident.
The number of cases of the Zika virus in Florida is nearly 1,000 with an additional six reported Wednesday, according to updated information posted on the state Department of Health website. The additional cases Wednesday included three travel-related infections and two locally transmitted cases and one non-Florida resident with exposure in Miami Beach.
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The overall total of reported cases was at 986, with the largest number, 721, classified as "travel-related."
In such cases, people are infected with the mosquito-borne virus elsewhere and bring it into Florida.
The updated numbers also show 141 cases of the disease being locally transmitted in Florida.
The Department of Health breaks out in separate categories cases involving infections of pregnant women and cases involving out-of-state residents.
Florida now has 103 infections involving pregnant women and 17 involving out-of-state residents. The Zika virus, which emerged last year in South America, is particularly dangerous to pregnant women because it can cause severe birth defects.
The department has conducted Zika virus testing on more than 8,723 people statewide. Florida currently has the capacity to test 6,156 people for active Zika virus and 7,336 for Zika antibodies.
At Gov. Rick Scott’s direction, all county health departments now offer free Zika risk assessment and testing to pregnant women.
Pregnant women can contact their local county health departments for Zika risk assessment and testing hours and information. A Zika risk assessment will be conducted by county health department staff and blood and/or urine samples may be collected and sent to labs for testing. It may take one to two weeks to receive results.