A new non-travel-related case of Zika virus in Palm Beach is under investigation by Florida officials.
It is unclear whether the person was infected with the virus from local mosquitoes or from recently traveling to Miami. Palm Beach County, the area in which the infected person lives, is about 70 miles north from the initial transmission zone. This is the area’s first locally-transmitted case of Zika. An investigation is underway to see how the person became infected.
After the locally transmitted Zika case in Miami-Dade County by way of mosquitoes, Governor Rick Scott along with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued a travel warning for people planning on visiting the area. Pregnant women in particular were warned to take precautions, as the Zika virus can cause birth defects.
On Monday, Governor Rick Scott said that the infected person had recently been to the Miami-Dade County. 16 people have been infected in the Miami area, with the Palm Beach case bringing the total to 17.
