Florida Officials Probe Possible Zika Case from Mosquito

Health officials are investigating a Zika virus infection in Florida that could be the first case in which someone caught the virus by being bitten by a mosquito in the United States.

In a statement posted on its website Tuesday, the Florida Department of Health says the "possible non-travel related case of Zika" occurred in Miami-Dade County.

That means it's possible that the infected person did not catch the virus while traveling in another country where the virus is spreading. Rather, the infection might have been acquired from an infected mosquito.

But there's also the possibility that the Florida case may have occurred another way, such as sexual contact.

The statement does not mention sexual transmission, and officials did not provide any additional information in response to a request from NPR.

"We do not have additional information to share at this time," Brad Dalton, deputy press secretary in the department's office of communications, said in an email. He added that the investigation is ongoing.

The federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said in an email that the agency "has been informed" of the case and is "closely coordinating" with Florida officials in the investigation.

Mosquito control inspectors have been going door-to-door in the area under investigation since health authorities alerted them late last week, spraying to kill mosquitoes and emptying containers of the water they need to breed. If the virus is there, they want to keep it from spreading through more mosquito bites.

"We're constantly in the area. We're doing hand-held spraying, and we'll do more truck spraying Thursday," said Gayle Love, a spokeswoman for Miami-Dade County Solid Waste Management.

Zika prevention kits and mosquito repellent — strongly recommended for women who are pregnant or planning to be pregnant — are being distributed in the area and can be picked up at the health department as well.

Health authorities have been expecting that Zika could eventually spread by mosquitoes in parts of the United States. But they have repeatedly said they are confident they could prevent any large outbreaks from occurring.

More than 1,300 cases of Zika have been reported in the the continental United States and Hawaii. So far none have occurred by being bitten by a mosquito in this country. Most have been in travelers returning from countries where the virus is spreading. At least 14 are believed to have occurred through sexual contact with someone who was infected elsewhere.

Zika can cause serious birth defects when pregnant women get infected, and can cause neurological complications in adults in rare cases.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.