Three cases of Zika virus, the first in the southeastern U.S. state of Florida, were recorded in people who had recently traveled in Latin America, state health authorities said Wednesday. The first two cases were found in Miami-Dade County in people who visited Colombia in December. The third case, in Hillsborough County, involved a person who traveled to Venezuela last month, Florida Health Department spokeswoman Mara Gambineri said. "We encourage Florida residents and visitors to protect themselves from all mosquito-borne illnesses by draining standing water, covering their skin with repellent and clothing, covering windows with screens," Gambineri said. There have been 26 travel-related cases of Zika virus int eh United States since 2007, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). No cases have been confirmed of infections contracted in the United States, though the virus has quickly spread across south America and the Caribbean in recent weeks. The Zika virus, which is transmitted by mosquitoes, cannot spread between humans. But the CDC has issued an alert advising pregnant women to avoid travel to Latin American countries with Zika outbreaks. The virus can be transmitted to the fetus, triggering brain damage like microcephaly in which the brain and skull are abnormally small. Health officials in Brazil said Wednesday the number of microcephaly cases has risen to 3,893 since authorities began investigating the surge in cases in October. Fewer than 150 such cases were seen in all of 2014. The Zika virus often produces flu-like symptoms including fever, headaches, and joint pain, as well as skin rashes and eye issues. Those symptoms appear within three to 12 days of the mosquito bite. In 80 percent of cases, the infection goes unnoticed, and it is very rarely fatal.
