Florida Gov. Rick Scott says that Florida has become the first state in our nation to have local transmission of the Zika virus. A small area in northern Miami that is about a square mile in size is the only area where the Zika virus is being transmitted from mosquitoes to people. The outbreak has infected at least four people, three men and one woman, through local transmission, Florida officials said today. The Florida Health Department has been giving Zika prevention kits to pregnant women in the affected area and warning residents to eliminate standing water to help cut down on the risk of mosquitoes. The virus has been found to cause serious birth defects including microcephaly, which is characterized by abnormally small head. Many blood donation sites have temporarily shut down in this area. Two Florida counties have shut down blood collections. Aggressive mosquito control measures are in effect in this area. Florida is working with the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention and the US Department of Health and Human Services to monitor and combat the outbreak. This is a developing story July 29, 2016.