ZIKA-BEARING MOSQUITOES LIKELY IN FLORIDA

Florida’s governor said Friday the state likely has the first cases of Zika transmitted by mosquitoes on the U.S. mainland.

Gov. Rick Scott said that no mosquitoes in the state have tested positive for Zika. But he said one woman and three men in Miami-Dade and Broward counties likely contracted the virus through mosquito bites.

More than 1,650 Zika infections have been reported in the U.S., but the four patients in Florida would be the first not linked to travel outside the U.S. mainland.

Zika primarily spreads through bites from tropical mosquitoes. In most people, the virus causes only mild illness, but infection during pregnancy can lead to severe brain-related birth defects for the fetus.

Miami-Dade County has reported 96 Zika cases, the most in Florida so far, and Broward County has 55. Until Friday, health officials said all the cases stemmed from international travel.

Zika is mainly spread by mosquitoes, as well as sex. There is no vaccine.