LOC18:51
15:51 GMT
WASHINGTON, July 29 (KUNA) -- Four cases of Zika infection in Miami are the first documented instance of local transmission in the continental US.
The cases are highly likely to have been caused by infected mosquitoes, the Florida Department of Health said on Friday.
The area of active transmission is within one square mile north of downtown, officials said.
No mosquitoes tested have been found to be carrying the virus, and health officials were going door to door in the area collecting urine samples to test residents.
Zika is transmitted by mosquitoes or by sex with a person who has been infected by a mosquito.
The virus can cause brain damage and neurological disorders in babies born to mothers who contracted it during pregnancy.
The virus has spread through dozens of countries in Latin America. (end)
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