Tests have found the Zika virus in mosquitoes from Miami, the first detected on continental United States, confirming local transmission of the disease, the Florida authorities said. Three mosquitoes were taken from the tourist hotspot Miami Beach, where cases of locally transmitted Zika were previously reported. "This is disappointing but not surprising," Florida agriculture commissioner Adam Putnam said in a statement Thursday.
"Florida is among the best (states) in the nation when it comes to mosquito surveillance and control, and this detection enables us to continue to effectively target our resources," he added. Health officials reported the first cases of locally transmitted Zika in Miami Beach in mid-August. The virus, which causes birth defects, was detected in a neighbourhood north of downtown called Wynwood earlier in July. It has also been found in the Florida counties of Palm Beach, north of Miami, and Pinellas, near Tampa.