Carlo Allegri/Reuters
Health officials in Florida have announced three new cases of the Zika virus caused by mosquito bites, two of which are outside areas of local transmission. The new infections, recorded in Miami-Dade County, bring the total number to 46. The Florida Department of Health cautioned against panic over the news, promising to investigate the new infections and saying, “One case does not mean ongoing active transmission is taking place.” Miami Beach and the neighborhood of Wynwood are two known sites of active transmission in the state, and health workers have actively been talking to residents in other areas in a bid to stop the spread of the infection. The Zika virus poses perhaps the biggest risk to pregnant women due to the severe birth defects it causes in babies. Downtown Miami has reportedly already seen a decline in tourism as the virus has gotten a foothold in the area.