MIAMI BEACH, Fla. – More mosquitoes have tested positive for the Zika virus in Miami Beach, the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services announced Friday.
Officials said the mosquito sample was taken from the same small area in Miami Beach where it was announced Sept. 1 that three other samples had tested positive for the virus.
"This find underscores the continued need already underway in Miami-Dade to employ an aggressive and comprehensive mosquito control strategy," Commissioner of Agriculture Adam H. Putnam said in a statement. "Only with a multi-faceted approach to controlling the Zika-carrying mosquito will we be able to protect Floridians and visitors."
The announcement came the same say that aerial spraying began in Miami Beach in hopes of eradicating Zika-carrying mosquitoes.
"The fact that we have identified a fourth Zika-positive mosquito pool in Miami Beach serves as further confirmation that we must continue our proactive and aggressive approach to controlling the mosquito population, including our recent decision to begin aerial spraying in combination with larvicide treatment by truck," Miami-Dade County Mayor Carlos A. Gimenez said in a statement. "We will continue to work in close collaboration with the health and environmental experts and the city of Miami Beach to keep our community safe from the Zika virus."
Aerial spraying is expected to continue in the city Sunday morning.
