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Read the press release here.

New Yorkers Warned About Traveling to Miami Amid Zika Virus Concerns

By Dusica Malesevic | August 1, 2016 5:25pm
 The city's Department of Health started a campaign to warn pregnant women or women trying to become pregnant not to travel to areas where Zika is prevalent.
The city's Department of Health started a campaign to warn pregnant women or women trying to become pregnant not to travel to areas where Zika is prevalent.
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Department of Health

NEW YORK CITY — New Yorkers should be wary about traveling to Miami after at least 14 cases of locally transmitted Zika virus were confirmed, the city's Health Department said Monday.

The Health Department and the mayor's office issued the warning Monday in a joint statement, following an advisory from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

"The fact that Zika is spreading locally in this Miami neighborhood means that pregnant women, women trying to conceive, and their sexual partners put themselves and their unborn child at risk of potential Zika infection when visiting this area," said Deputy Mayor Herminia Palacio and Health Commissioner Mary Bassett in a statement.

The Health Department already has travel warnings in effect for Latin America and the Caribbean. 

READ MORE: Here's What You Need to Know About the Zika Virus

While the mosquito associated with Zika transmission has not been found in New York City, the Health Department has stepped up its spraying efforts, and advises New Yorkers to remove standing outdoor water, utilize repellant when appropriate and avoid mosquito-dense areas.

The statement noted, "Zika is a mild and treatable disease for most people; however, it could have devastating consequences for an unborn child.”

Last month, the Health Department confirmed the city's first reported case of a baby born with with Zika-related birth defects.