Zika Warning! CDC Says Pregnant Women Should Avoid Miami Area

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is warning pregnant women to avoid a certain area of Miami after more cases of Zika have been discovered.

The CDC is also advising people who have been in that area or who are there now to wait at least eight weeks before conceiving a child.   

Last week, the government health organization announced the discovery of four homegrown cases of Zika in which victims contracted the virus from local mosquitoes.

On Monday, officials confirmed another 10 such cases, bringing the total to 14 - two women and 12 men.

Six of the 10 new cases are people who had no symptoms, which is not surprising. An estimated 80 percent of all people who contract the virus have no symptoms. Those who do, complain of fever, a rash, joint pain and pink eye.

The  CDC is responding to Florida Gov. Rick Scott's request to send an emergency task force to the area to try to curtail the spread of the virus. So far two CDC staffers are on the ground and six more are on the way.

The team consists of epidemiological experts in arboviruses, pregnancy and birth defects, as well as mosquito control experts and communications teams.

"Florida has a proven track record of success when it comes to managing similar mosquito-borne viruses," Scott said in a written statement. "We will continue to keep our residents and visitors safe utilizing constant surveillance and aggressive strategies, such as increased mosquito spraying, that have allowed our state to fight similar viruses."

The area of concern is the Wynwood neighborhood located north of downtown Miami, an area of about one square mile. 

Its burgeoning arts scene is popular with tourists. However, the rapidly gentrifying neighborhood is also home to abandoned warehouses where standing water, a breeding ground for mosquitos, is common.