Health authorities in Florida have tested about 200 people for the Zika virus as part of the state's investigation of two possible cases of infections not related to travel to a region hit by an outbreak, officials said on Friday, according to Reuters. Florida's health department this week began looking into what may be the first cases in the United States of Zika, a mosquito-borne virus that has spread rapidly through Latin America and the Caribbean, caused by the bite of a local mosquito. All prior cases of Zika in the United States have been linked with travel to a country where the virus is circulating or to sex with someone who has done such travel. Health experts in the United States have been watching closely for the arrival of Zika, which has been shown to cause a birth defect called microcephaly marked by small heads and undersized brains that can cause severe developmental problems. Florida health officials have urged people in the areas being investigated to provide blood and urine samples if requested.
