Nearly 500 New Yorkers Have Tested Positive for Zika
City officials say number includes 49 pregnant women
August 17, 2016
As of Tuesday, 483 New Yorkers have tested positive for the Zika virus, according to city officials. The number includes 49 pregnant women, who are particularly at-risk as Zika can be transmitted to fetuses.
Officials said none of the cases stemmed from local mosquitos, however. According to the New York Post, five of the 483 contracted the disease sexually. The rest are believed to have contracted the disease overseas, many in the Dominican Republic.
New York Mayor Bill de Blasio held a press conference on Tuesday, asking Congress for money to help fight the spread of virus. “We need the federal government to act now and pass the authorization of $1.9 billion in funding,” he said. “Without federal dollars, we cannot deepen our work and we won’t have the assurance that other jurisdictions are doing all they can do to fight Zika.”
Watch Mayor de Blasio’s press conference here.
