Debbie Wilcox, a resident of Harbour Isles on Perico Island, has concerns about the drainage system that holds stormwater runoff — and possibly breeds mosquitoes.
Four travel-related Zika cases were reported Sept. 22 in Manatee County.
According to the Florida Department of Public Health, the four county residents are among 874 people in the state who have contracted the Zika virus and among 682 “travel-related” cases.
Also as of Sept. 22, the DPH reported 92 non-travel cases, 90 pregnant women and 10 non-resident, out-of-state cases in Florida.
People who have returned with the virus after traveling outside the United States are “travel-related,” DPH public information officer Natalie Spindle said.
Miami-Dade County reported the most travel-related cases at 223.
In Miami-Dade, Miami Beach and the Miami neighborhood of Wynwood reported local transmissions of the virus. First reported in Wynwood, the area was cleared Sept. 19 as a Zika zone with no evidence of active transmission within 45 days, according to the DPH website.
As of Sept. 22, the DPH reported 41 positive results in Miami Beach and that “the state’s small case cluster is not considered widespread transmission.”
Zika is spread by the bite of infected Aedes mosquitoes, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta. These mosquitoes are aggressive daytime biters that also bite at night.
Zika can be passed by sexual transmission and from a pregnant woman to her fetus, often causing birth defects.
There is no known vaccine or medicine for the virus.
Nearby, in Pinellas County, a Zika-virus investigation was opened by the county department of public health and, of 71 samples collected thus far, 69 have produced negative results and two are pending, according to the DPH.
Health officials advise people to be vigilant about mosquito-bite protection and to drain all sources of standing water.
For more information, go online to www.floridahealth.gov/diseases-and-conditions/zika-virus.