A federal agency declined to pinpoint the exact areas in Miami where the Zika virus is spreading, since doing so may provide a “false sense of security.”
The response from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention comes after criticism of local Florida officials for undercounting locally transmitted Zika infections and for not identifying where exactly in the city the virus is spreading.
The local health department has identified only a one-square-mile area in the Wynwood neighborhood of Miami and a one-square-mile area in Miami Beach as locations for active transmissions. However, the CDC declined to specify during a Tuesday call with reporters the exact areas where Zika is spreading, including noting street names and crossings.
“It’s not our role to provide that sort of specific information and it is up to the state and local authorities,” said Beth Bell, director of CDC’s National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases.
She added that the virus is spread primarily via mosquito bites, and that the bugs “fly around.”
Health officials are trying to thread the needle for identifying Zika transmission areas.
“It is meant to provide some sort of a balance between needing to identify some area of increased risk but not providing a false sense of security and giving the impression that we can be very precise about the situation,” Bell said.
