ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. — Seven counties in Florida, including Osceola County, have 16 confirmed cases of the Zika virus.
Gov. Rick Scott said state officials are working with local leaders to help prepare for the mosquito-borne virus.
Scott said officials are working with the Department of Agriculture to make sure funds are going to offices that help with mosquito control.
"Last Thursday, I asked our surgeon general to call a public health emergency in the counties that have Zika," Scott said.
Scott said all 16 cases are travel related, meaning no one has contracted the virus in Florida. None of the infected people are pregnant women either.
Scott said leaders are working closely with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to get kits that test for Zika.
"We are also asking the CDC to have a conference call with all of our health care workers that might come in contact with someone with Zika, especially OB-GYNs," Scott said.
Scott requested 1,000 antibody kits to detect if someone has ever had the virus. He said the state is buying 4,000 more kits to see if someone currently has it.
“I'm hopeful that we'll prepare and get ready and then this won't expand, but you look at Central and South America, look at the unbelievable amount of Zika they have there, you look at the children with the birth defects, you want to be prepared and that's what we're doing, we're going to prepare for the worst and hope for the best,” Scott said.
Scott said with more than 100 million tourists visiting this year, the virus is a concern and that’s why state leaders are preparing.
Cox Media Group
