Health officials in Florida announced Wednesday that three pregnant women have tested positive for the Zika virus after traveling abroad, marking a total of 32 such cases to be confirmed thus far in the Sunshine State. Secretary of Health Dr. John Armstrong announced the cases in his daily Zika update as part of an ongoing effort to keep Florida residents and visitors "safe and aware about the status of the Zika virus."
Though the news release confirms that all three of the cases are travel-related, officials have declined to identify the countries where the women had traveled to.
Upon learning about the diagnoses, Florida Gov. Rick Scott requested 250 Zika antibody tests from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Doctors use the antibody tests to determine if an individual, even if they are not currently sick, ever had the virus.
"Following the news that three pregnant women tested positive for the Zika virus after traveling to Latin America, we have requested additional antibody tests to ensure we keep a good supply of resources to keep our families safe," Scott said in a statement, according to CBS News. "I appreciate that the CDC has previously supplied Florida with these antibody tests and I ask that the CDC take immediate action to fulfill this request so we can continue to stay ahead of the possible spread of the Zika virus in Florida."
News of the infections come as Zik V, as its commonly abbreviated by officials, slowly creeps its way into the U.S. after rapidly spreading through Latin America and the Caribbean. Scientists are studying its possible connection to microcephaly - a condition that usually results in abnormal brain development, with long-term effects that include mental retardation and other complications.
It is primarily spread to people through mosquitoes infected by the virus, but there has been at least one instance of the case sexual transmission as well. Common symptoms include fever, rash, joint pain and red eyes that can last between a few days and one week, reported Fox News. The problem, however, is that only 20 percent of those who contract the virus actually show symptoms. Due to this, pregnant women in particular are urged to see a doctor immediately if they think they're infected.
