Florida has reported homegrown Zika transmission by mosquitoes. Those cases stem from people who were infected elsewhere and brought the virus into Florida.

Zika is a mosquito-borne virus that only causes mild, flu-like symptoms in most people.

Earlier this month, the first cases of locally acquired Zika infection were confirmed in the Miami-area Wynwood neighborhood.

"Making insect repellent available for guests in public areas of hotels and other public accommodations, as well as directing them to information such as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention [CDC] website, would help to build protective behaviors", said Cahyanto, an affiliate TCMI researcher from Black Hills State University in Spearfish, S.D.

Gov. Alejandro Garcia Padilla said he had asked federal officials to declare a public health emergency and thanked them for their support.

The World Health Organisation included the occurrence of "congenital malformation associated with a travel-related case of Zika virus infection" in its weekly Zika update.

Of the $26.2 million in emergency state funding authorized by Scott, $18.6 million has been allocated, including $5 million for the testing of pregnant women, $3.5 million for laboratories and $3.6 million for local mosquito control.

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The health department said the third infection is outside that zone in Miami-Dade County.

Burwell said the funding was meant to keep Zika vaccine research going despite the lack of funding from US lawmakers, who left for summer recess before allocating any funding to Zika research and preparedness.

"We are right now in a race against time to get the best vaccine", Fauci said.

Health and Human Services Secretary Sylvia Burwell notified Congress in a letter Thursday that she had authorized reallocating $81 million from other health programs to pay for the Zika vaccine and preventative research.

Burwell notified congressional leaders that she will transfer $34 million away from other programs at the National Institutes of Health and $47 million within the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority budget.

"This administration is committed to meeting the Zika outbreak in Puerto Rico with the necessary urgency", Burwell said in a statement.

Rubio added: "As I've said repeatedly, we never should have gotten to this point".