Miami-Dade tries to stop Zika from spreading locally

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MIAMI (AP) – The Florida county reporting the most Zika infections is trying to head off local outbreaks of the mosquito-borne virus.

As of Tuesday, all 85 Zika cases statewide stem from travel outside the U.S. Miami-Dade County leads the state with 33 cases, followed by Broward County’s 13 cases.

Federal health officials don’t expect widespread outbreaks, but they are increasingly concerned about medical complications linked to Zika.

Miami-Dade Solid Waste Management spokesman Frank Calderon says the county is aggressively trying to stop travelers potentially infected in Latin America from being bitten by local mosquitoes. Technicians are going door to door in some neighborhoods to drain containers that collect water and give mosquitoes someplace to breed.

Florida health officials urge residents to avoid bites by wearing repellent and covering windows with screens.

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