State health officials on Monday reported another locally transmitted case of the Zika virus in Miami-Dade County.
The new case brings the state total of locally transmitted Zika cases to 43, with the Florida Department of Health reporting the latest incident was associated with a 1.5-square-mile zone in Miami Beach.
That area, along with a 1-square-mile area in the Wynwood community in Miami, have been focuses of state efforts to combat the spread of the mosquito-borne virus. The majority of cases, 545 as of Monday, are travel-related, meaning individuals contracted the virus outside of Florida but then traveled to the state.
The state has also reported 75 cases of Zika involving pregnant women. The federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has warned pregnant women to avoid the Miami Beach and Wynwood zones since the virus has been linked to severe birth defects, including microcephaly.
The state is continuing to investigate individual cases of locally transmitted Zika in Pinellas and Palm Beach counties but has not declared any infection zones in those communities.
Also on Monday, Gov. Rick Scott hosted two community meetings on the Zika problem in Naples and Boca Raton. Zika cases have been reported in 35 of Florida's 67 counties.
