U.S. probes 2nd possible non-travel related Zika case

Health officials in Florida are investigating a second possible Zika case spread by locally infected mosquitoes in the continental United States, the state's Department of Health said Friday, days after it reported the first potential case.

The new "possible non-travel related Zika" case occurred in the state's Broward County. The investigation into the first possible case in Miami-Dade County is still ongoing.

"To date, approximately 200 people have been interviewed and tested as part of the department's investigations and we await additional lab results," the department said in a statement.

The department also said it's conducting door-to-door outreach with mosquito control in the areas surrounding the residences, work places and frequently visited locations of both suspect cases.

"Residents and visitors are urged to participate in requests for blood and urine samples by the department in the areas of investigation," it said. "These results will help the department determine the number of people affected."

Meanwhile, a medical epidemiologist from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Marc Fischer, arrived in Florida Friday to assist in the department's investigation with mapping and testing methodology

Zika spreads to people primarily through mosquito bites, and it can also be spread sexually.

More than 1,400 cases of Zika have been reported in the continental United States, but nearly all are travel-associated cases, only a few acquired the virus through sex with people who contracted it while traveling abroad. Enditem