People traveling from San Francisco to Florida have a new Zika warning to consider after five people, three of whom were not from the state, were infected with the disease by local mosquitoes.
On Friday, the Center for Disease Control made an announcement advising pregnant women to stay away from a 1 ½ square mile area of Miami Beach, from the Intracoastal Waterway to areas of 28th Street.
University of Miami student Robert Papcica told NBC Bay Area that he will do his best to avoid mosquitoes, but that the spread of Zika is a concern. All told, 36 people in the state have been infected by local mosquitoes.
“I’ve got to go to school,” Papcica said. “I’ll probably use Off (bug spray) a lot and not go to Wynwood too much.”
The Wynwood neighborhood, which sits north of downtown Miami, marks the spot of the first U.S. transmission site. The newest Zika zone is about six miles from there.
Hotel operators in that area have said that some tourists are canceling reservations.
“In the last week, we had three phone calls and three cancellations, one of which (was due to pregnancy concerns).”
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Many travelers at San Francisco International Airport told NBC Bay Area that they planned to be more cautious but were not scrapping plans.
“I have a friend, and she went to the Bahamas,” said one traveler. “She’s pregnant and she felt safe.”
