A small cluster of locally transmitted cases of Zika has reportedly been discovered in Miami Beach, sparking fears the hugely popular tourist spot could become subject to a travel advisory.
An unnamed health official said there were a ‘handful of cases’ of likely local transmission not associated with Miami’s Wynwood neighbourhood, which is the only area so far in the continental United States with a travel advisory.
The official spoke to the Miami Herald on the condition of anonymity as any confirmation of the spread or an expanded travel alert has not been confirmed.
"Now that we have a second area of local transmission, I think officials wouldn’t be surprised to see in the coming weeks another area. So in an effort to simplify things and get ahead, there are discussions about expanding the area to possibly include the county or other parts of the Miami area," the official said.
"At a minimum is expanding the travel advisory to Miami Beach. What’s on the table right now is Miami Beach and making it bigger than Miami Beach. There are discussions about the whole of Miami-Dade County," he added.
Mara Gambineri, spokeswoman for the Florida Department of Health said: "If investigations reveal additional areas of likely active transmission, the department will announce a defined area of concern."
Miami Beach attracted seven million tourists last year, with about half coming from international markets, according to data from the Greater Miami Convention and Visitors Bureau.
