(CNN) Planes completed aerial spraying for mosquitoes carrying the Zika virus early Friday in the Miami area, despite concerns over possible effects that the insecticide Naled may have on health and the environment.

Since the mosquito that carries Zika is most active at predawn and at sunset, all spraying must take place at those times.

So far, there have been 56 local transmissions of the Zika virus in Florida , which has 20.6 million residents. The state has seen 596 travel-related cases of Zika, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

The virus can cause neurological disorders in unborn children

Health officials have sprayed pesticide and larvicide on the ground in areas where they believe the mosquitoes may be, and are expanding those efforts with the aerial use of Naled.

The spraying was originally scheduled for Thursday, but was delayed for a day after concerned residents protested.

Experts say there's no reason to be concerned over the effects of the insecticide on human health and the environment. The amount of insecticide used is minimal -- two tablespoons per acre -- about the size of a football field, according to the CDC.

"Aerial spraying using Naled and other insecticides has been used in many populated areas of the continental United States, including Miami, Tampa and New Orleans to help control mosquitoes," the CDC said on its website

Naled breaks down swiftly in water and sunlight, and its chemicals don't cause health problems in people or pets if used in small quantities, according to the CDC.

Sprayers produce fine droplets that are small enough to stay airborne and intercept mosquitoes in flight. It kills mosquitoes on contact.

But while US health officials say it's safe, Europe has banned the use of agricultural products containing Naled over safety concerns.

A few days later, in an unprecedented move, the CDC announced a travel warning, advising pregnant women not to visit that area. Authorities launched aggressive mosquito-control measures, including spraying in the area.

Last month, the CDC advised pregnant women not to travel to an area of Miami Beach limited to 1½ square miles.

Pregnant women are at greatest risk because the virus can have devastating consequences for an unborn baby, including the birth defect microcephaly and other neurological disorders, as well as miscarriage and stillbirth among women infected while pregnant.

In addition to human health, critics say Naled kills pollinators and wildlife, and is toxic to the environment.</s>(CNN) Planes completed aerial spraying for mosquitoes carrying the Zika virus early Friday in the Miami area, despite concerns over possible effects that the insecticide Naled may have on health and the environment.

Since the mosquito that carries Zika is most active at predawn and at sunset, all spraying must take place at those times.

So far, there have been 56 local transmissions of the Zika virus in Florida , which has 20.6 million residents. The state has seen 596 travel-related cases of Zika, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

The virus can cause neurological disorders in unborn children

Health officials have sprayed pesticide and larvicide on the ground in areas where they believe the mosquitoes may be, and are expanding those efforts with the aerial use of Naled.

The spraying was originally scheduled for Thursday, but was delayed for a day after concerned residents protested.

Experts say there's no reason to be concerned over the effects of the insecticide on human health and the environment. The amount of insecticide used is minimal -- two tablespoons per acre -- about the size of a football field, according to the CDC.

"Aerial spraying using Naled and other insecticides has been used in many populated areas of the continental United States, including Miami, Tampa and New Orleans to help control mosquitoes," the CDC said on its website

Naled breaks down swiftly in water and sunlight, and its chemicals don't cause health problems in people or pets if used in small quantities, according to the CDC.

Sprayers produce fine droplets that are small enough to stay airborne and intercept mosquitoes in flight. It kills mosquitoes on contact.

But while US health officials say it's safe, Europe has banned the use of agricultural products containing Naled over safety concerns.

A few days later, in an unprecedented move, the CDC announced a travel warning, advising pregnant women not to visit that area. Authorities launched aggressive mosquito-control measures, including spraying in the area.

Last month, the CDC advised pregnant women not to travel to an area of Miami Beach limited to 1½ square miles.

Pregnant women are at greatest risk because the virus can have devastating consequences for an unborn baby, including the birth defect microcephaly and other neurological disorders, as well as miscarriage and stillbirth among women infected while pregnant.

In addition to human health, critics say Naled kills pollinators and wildlife, and is toxic to the environment.</s>A Miami-Dade County sprays pesticides over the ocean in hopes of it drifting over the mainland to control and reduce the number of mosquitoes on Sept. 9 in Miami Beach.

Joe Raedle / Getty Images</s>(CNN) Predawn aerial spraying for Zika-carrying mosquitoes, set to begin Friday, is bugging out residents of Miami Beach, Florida.

But concerns about the consequences for human health and the environment may be overblown, according to experts.

Originally scheduled for Thursday, the spraying was delayed for a day after angry residents protested.

"Nobody's here bc they're afraid #zika we care abt organic solutions not poison. We're skeptical Gov Scott $ interest" #naled #miamibeach

Maria de los Angeles' tweet is typical of the concerns being voiced by residents: "Nobody's here bc they're afraid #zika we care abt organic solutions not poison. We're skeptical Gov Scott $ interest" #naled #miamibeach."

So far there have been 56 locally transmitted cases of the Zika virus in Florida , which has 20.6 million residents.

As of Thursday, there were also 596 travel-related cases of Zika in Florida. According to the CDC, there are 2,977 cases of the virus in the continental United States.

Here's what you need to know:

Why are they spraying?

Spraying is needed because the mosquitoes aren't gone yet even though authorities have sprayed on the ground.

A few days later, in an unprecedented move, the CDC announced a travel warning, advising pregnant women not to visit that area. Aggressive mosquito-control measures were taken, including mosquito spraying in the area.

Last month, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention advised pregnant women not to travel to an area of Miami Beach limited to 1½ square miles. Scott said the area runs from the beach to the Intracoastal Waterway and from Eighth Street to 28th Street.

Pregnant women are at greatest risk because the virus can have devastating consequences for an unborn baby, including the birth defect microcephaly and other neurological deficits, as well as miscarriage and stillbirth among women who were infected while pregnant.

What are they spraying and how does it work?

The main ingredient of the insecticide, Dibrom, is the chemical naled.

The chemical kills mosquitoes on contact. Sprayers produce very fine droplets that are small enough to stay airborne and intercept mosquitoes in flight.

Naled spray droplets stay airborne for an extended period, and the chemical begins to break down once exposed to sunlight or water.

Very little of the low-concentration spray settles on the ground. Those who worry that they may have come into contact with the chemicals should wash, according to officials.

Any food that may have been exposed should be rinsed before eating. Since concentrations are far below what is harmful to humans, symptoms, such as skin irritation or headache, are unlikely.

Are there health risks associated with naled?

One South Florida resident quoted a coworker in a tweet as saying, "We're either gonna die of Zika or cancer."

In its own review of naled, however, the European Union came to a different conclusion.

Is this the first use of naled in Florida?

The Mosquito Control Section has applied naled via an ultra-low-volume spray for many years, officials said in a news release.

In fact, Dibrom has been used in the United States over the past 50 years, said Timothy J. Donnelly, vice president, chief administrative officer and general counsel of AMVAC Chemical Corp., which makes the insecticide.

"It is regularly sprayed in 12 states on over 15 million acres each year," Donnelly said last month.

Miami-Dade County's aerial spraying alternates between naled and an insecticide called BTI (bacillus thuringiensis israelensis, a naturally occurring bacterium), which targets mosquito larvae instead of adult mosquitoes. BTI has been registered with the EPA since 1961 as a pesticide.

What are the environmental risks of aerial spraying?

On Thursday, a Twitter user described as a backyard bee keeper wrote, "@CDCgov Please stop the use of toxic NALED, it kills pollinators and wildlife and its toxic to environment."

"This is crazy," she said. "It's like using a sledgehammer to crack a peanut. The devastation that it has already caused is beyond comprehension. We can't live without these honeybees."

The spraying occurred, Dorchester County Administrator Jason Ward said, because four people in the county had developed Zika while traveling to areas of the world where the virus is actively circulating. Summerville residents then expressed concern about the virus. Zika is not actively circulating in South Carolina.

Still, Aedes aegypti, the main mosquito that carries and transmits the virus, has been found in small numbers in the nearby Charleston area, according to Ward.

The National Institute of Food and Agriculture and the National Bee Laboratory declined to comment on the issue.

"We do recommend mosquito control to be done around travel-associated cases as well as locally transmitted cases if the mosquitoes that spread Zika are in the environment," said entomologist Janet McAllister of the CDC's Division of Vector-Borne Diseases. "We don't want the virus to take hold in the local mosquito population."

The truth is the nation's bee population has long been stressed by the public's need for pest control.

"I've seen it with West Nile virus and after hurricanes and major flooding," entomologist Jeffrey Harris said. "I always tell the beekeepers that human health is always going to trump bee health, and if there is a natural disaster that increases a dangerous mosquito population, they are going to spray."

Harris runs the Honey Bee Extension and Research Program for Mississippi State University and is active in research on bees and how to best protect them from pesticides.

"Aerial spraying is a tough one," he said. "The recommendations are difficult to follow. While maximum foraging for bees is between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m., in the summertime, the bees are already out at dawn, when aerial spraying is recommended. So spraying in the morning is the worst thing they can do for bees."

Since the variety of mosquito that carries Zika is most active predawn and at sunset, all spraying must take place at those times. Special precautions are not necessary, Miami-Dade County officials said, though people with allergies may want to remain indoors. During any insecticide operation, it is recommended that beekeepers cover their bees.

"When naled gets sprayed, it knocks out the mosquitoes, but if sprayed over water, it breaks down quickly," he said.

If the chemicals are rotated and managed properly, an environmental area can recover, Phillips noted.</s>(CNN) Predawn aerial spraying for Zika-carrying mosquitoes, set to begin Friday, is bugging out residents of Miami Beach, Florida.

But concerns about the consequences for human health and the environment may be overblown, according to experts.

Originally scheduled for Thursday, the spraying was delayed for a day after angry residents protested.

"Nobody's here bc they're afraid #zika we care abt organic solutions not poison. We're skeptical Gov Scott $ interest" #naled #miamibeach

Maria de los Angeles' tweet is typical of the concerns being voiced by residents: "Nobody's here bc they're afraid #zika we care abt organic solutions not poison. We're skeptical Gov Scott $ interest" #naled #miamibeach."

So far there have been 56 locally transmitted cases of the Zika virus in Florida , which has 20.6 million residents.

As of Thursday, there were also 596 travel-related cases of Zika in Florida. According to the CDC, there are 2,977 cases of the virus in the continental United States.

Here's what you need to know:

Why are they spraying?

Spraying is needed because the mosquitoes aren't gone yet even though authorities have sprayed on the ground.

A few days later, in an unprecedented move, the CDC announced a travel warning, advising pregnant women not to visit that area. Aggressive mosquito-control measures were taken, including mosquito spraying in the area.

Last month, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention advised pregnant women not to travel to an area of Miami Beach limited to 1½ square miles. Scott said the area runs from the beach to the Intracoastal Waterway and from Eighth Street to 28th Street.

Pregnant women are at greatest risk because the virus can have devastating consequences for an unborn baby, including the birth defect microcephaly and other neurological deficits, as well as miscarriage and stillbirth among women who were infected while pregnant.

What are they spraying and how does it work?

The main ingredient of the insecticide, Dibrom, is the chemical naled.

The chemical kills mosquitoes on contact. Sprayers produce very fine droplets that are small enough to stay airborne and intercept mosquitoes in flight.

Naled spray droplets stay airborne for an extended period, and the chemical begins to break down once exposed to sunlight or water.

Very little of the low-concentration spray settles on the ground. Those who worry that they may have come into contact with the chemicals should wash, according to officials.

Any food that may have been exposed should be rinsed before eating. Since concentrations are far below what is harmful to humans, symptoms, such as skin irritation or headache, are unlikely.

Are there health risks associated with naled?

One South Florida resident quoted a coworker in a tweet as saying, "We're either gonna die of Zika or cancer."

In its own review of naled, however, the European Union came to a different conclusion.

Is this the first use of naled in Florida?

The Mosquito Control Section has applied naled via an ultra-low-volume spray for many years, officials said in a news release.

In fact, Dibrom has been used in the United States over the past 50 years, said Timothy J. Donnelly, vice president, chief administrative officer and general counsel of AMVAC Chemical Corp., which makes the insecticide.

"It is regularly sprayed in 12 states on over 15 million acres each year," Donnelly said last month.

Miami-Dade County's aerial spraying alternates between naled and an insecticide called BTI (bacillus thuringiensis israelensis, a naturally occurring bacterium), which targets mosquito larvae instead of adult mosquitoes. BTI has been registered with the EPA since 1961 as a pesticide.

What are the environmental risks of aerial spraying?

On Thursday, a Twitter user described as a backyard bee keeper wrote, "@CDCgov Please stop the use of toxic NALED, it kills pollinators and wildlife and its toxic to environment."

"This is crazy," she said. "It's like using a sledgehammer to crack a peanut. The devastation that it has already caused is beyond comprehension. We can't live without these honeybees."

The spraying occurred, Dorchester County Administrator Jason Ward said, because four people in the county had developed Zika while traveling to areas of the world where the virus is actively circulating. Summerville residents then expressed concern about the virus. Zika is not actively circulating in South Carolina.

Still, Aedes aegypti, the main mosquito that carries and transmits the virus, has been found in small numbers in the nearby Charleston area, according to Ward.

The National Institute of Food and Agriculture and the National Bee Laboratory declined to comment on the issue.

"We do recommend mosquito control to be done around travel-associated cases as well as locally transmitted cases if the mosquitoes that spread Zika are in the environment," said entomologist Janet McAllister of the CDC's Division of Vector-Borne Diseases. "We don't want the virus to take hold in the local mosquito population."

The truth is the nation's bee population has long been stressed by the public's need for pest control.

"I've seen it with West Nile virus and after hurricanes and major flooding," entomologist Jeffrey Harris said. "I always tell the beekeepers that human health is always going to trump bee health, and if there is a natural disaster that increases a dangerous mosquito population, they are going to spray."

Harris runs the Honey Bee Extension and Research Program for Mississippi State University and is active in research on bees and how to best protect them from pesticides.

"Aerial spraying is a tough one," he said. "The recommendations are difficult to follow. While maximum foraging for bees is between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m., in the summertime, the bees are already out at dawn, when aerial spraying is recommended. So spraying in the morning is the worst thing they can do for bees."

Since the variety of mosquito that carries Zika is most active predawn and at sunset, all spraying must take place at those times. Special precautions are not necessary, Miami-Dade County officials said, though people with allergies may want to remain indoors. During any insecticide operation, it is recommended that beekeepers cover their bees.

"When naled gets sprayed, it knocks out the mosquitoes, but if sprayed over water, it breaks down quickly," he said.

If the chemicals are rotated and managed properly, an environmental area can recover, Phillips noted.</s>MIAMI BEACH, Fla. (AP) — Aerial insecticide spraying to combat mosquitoes carrying the Zika virus is underway in Miami Beach.

A plane carrying the insecticide naled released the spray over the targeted area before dawn Friday. The next round is scheduled for 6 a.m. Sunday.

Some residents oppose the spraying, citing the potential for harmful effects. But county officials say the low concentration of naled won’t harm them.

“We are concerned that the naled actually has more of a potential risk of creating the problems we are trying to avert than the actual concern with Zika,” area resident Brik Viera said.

Local television stations reported that some parents kept their children home from school on Friday because of the spraying. The aerial spraying targets adult mosquitoes; different pesticides for larvae will be sprayed on the ground.

The touristy South Beach area of Miami Beach is the second site declared an active zone of Zika transmission by mosquitoes on the U.S. mainland. The discovery in August led the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to include a section of Miami Beach in a travel warning issued for pregnant women. Earlier in the summer, a travel warning was issued for Miami’s Wynwood arts district, which is popular for day trips.

South Beach also became the first place on the mainland where the virus was isolated in mosquito samples, with health authorities reporting last week that three batches of the insects tested positive for Zika. Florida’s agriculture department said Friday that one more batch from the area had tested positive. Statewide, an additional 2,900 batches of more than a dozen insects each have tested negative for the virus, state officials said in a news release.

Zika infection can cause severe brain-related birth defects, including a dangerously small head, if women are infected during pregnancy.

Of Florida’s 56 non-travel-related Zika cases, 11 have been traced to Miami Beach and 29 to Wynwood. The rest are being considered isolated cases and have not prompted authorities to issue warnings of local transmission.</s>The Latest: More mosquitoes with Zika in Miami Beach

MIAMI BEACH, Fla. (AP) — The Latest on Zika mosquitoes in Miami Beach (all times local):

Officials say additional mosquitoes have tested positive for Zika in Miami Beach.

This Aug. 4, 2016 photo shows a plane conducts mosquito control aerial spraying over Wynwood area of Miami, Fla., and the surrounding areas in order combat the spread of Zika. Miami-Dade County officials say they're delaying the aerial spraying of an insecticide called naled over South Beach following concerns voiced by residents and local officials. County Mayor Carlos Gimenez said in a statement Wednesday, Sept. 7 that the spraying to fight the Zika virus scheduled for Thursday morning was moved to Friday morning. Additional sprayings are scheduled for Sunday and the next two weekends. (Logan Riely/Miami Herald via AP)

Florida's agriculture department said Friday that one more batch from the area had tested positive. State officials say in a news release that an additional 2,900 batches of more than a dozen insects each have tested negative for the virus statewide.

Aerial insecticide spraying to combat mosquitoes carrying the Zika virus is underway in Miami Beach. A plane carrying the insecticide naled released the spray over the Atlantic Ocean before dawn Friday.

The Miami Herald (http://hrld.us/2cL57UF ) quotes Miami-Dade County officials as saying that on-board meteorological equipment was used to measure weather conditions and calculate a flight pattern that would allow the wind to carry the spray over the island.

Aerial insecticide spraying to combat mosquitoes carrying the Zika virus is underway in Miami Beach.

A plane carrying the insecticide naled released the spray over the Atlantic Ocean before dawn Friday.

The Miami Herald (http://hrld.us/2cL57UF ) quotes Miami-Dade County officials as saying that on-board meteorological equipment was used to measure weather conditions and calculate a flight pattern that would allow the wind to carry the spray over the island.

The next round is scheduled for 6 a.m. Sunday.

Some residents opposed spraying, citing the potential for harmful effects. But county officials say the low concentration of naled won't harm them.

Aerial spraying targets adult mosquitoes; different pesticides for larvae will be sprayed on the ground.

Of Florida's 56 non-travel-related Zika cases, 11 are associated with Miami Beach.</s>MIAMI BEACH, Fla. (AP) — Aerial insecticide spraying to combat mosquitoes carrying the Zika virus is underway in Miami Beach.

A plane carrying the insecticide naled released the spray over the Atlantic Ocean before dawn Friday.

The Miami Herald (http://hrld.us/2cL57UF ) quotes Miami-Dade County officials as saying that on-board meteorological equipment was used to measure weather conditions and calculate a flight pattern that would allow the wind to carry the spray over the island.

The next round is scheduled for 6 a.m. Sunday.

Some residents oppose spraying, citing the potential for harmful effects. But county officials say the low concentration of naled won't harm them.

"We are concerned that the naled actually has more of a potential risk of creating the problems we are trying to avert than the actual concern with Zika," said area resident Brik Viera.

Local television stations reported that some parents kept their children home from school on Friday because of the spraying.

Aerial spraying targets adult mosquitoes; different pesticides for larvae will be sprayed on the ground.

South Beach is the second site of Zika transmission by mosquitoes on the U.S. mainland. The discovery in August led the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to include a section of Miami Beach in a travel warning issued for pregnant women. Earlier in the summer, a travel warning was issued for Miami's Wynwood arts district, which is popular for day trips.

Zika infection can cause severe brain-related birth defects, including a dangerously small head, if women are infected during pregnancy.

Of Florida's 56 non-travel-related Zika cases, 11 are associated with Miami Beach.</s>The Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services announced Friday that it has detected Zika in another mosquito sample from the same small area in Miami Beach where it was announced on Sept. 1 that three other samples had tested positive for Zika.

All samples have consisted of Aedes aeqypti mosquitoes and are from an area where increased trapping and intensified mosquito control measures have already been underway since the Florida Department of Health determined local transmission had occurred.

There have been 571 reported cases of travel-acquired Zika cases in Florida so far. There have been 43 cases of locally-acquired infection in the Miami area.

For almost six months the U.S. Congress has failed to pass a funding bill needed to speed up research and control of the Zika virus, which causes a severe brain defect in unborn children called microcephaly or “tiny head” syndrome and causes Guillain-Barré syndrome in adults, which can be crippling as well as deadly.

There is no vaccine for Zika and no cure.

Mosquitoes, sexual contact with someone infected and contact with infected blood can transmit the virus to humans.

Some emergency funds from the Department of Health and Human Services and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have been released, but the amount needed is not enough and not soon enough to stop the spread so far.

There have been 24 sexually transmitted cases reported in the U.S. so far.

“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,” said Miami-Dade County Mayor Carlos A. Gimenez. “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.”

On Friday the US Department of Health and Human Services issued the following update to national Zika statistics:

Zika Case Count: As of September 7, there were more than 18,800 confirmed cases of Zika virus in U.S. states and territories.
•2,964 confirmed cases of Zika in U.S. States and District of Columbia.
•15,869 confirmed cases of Zika in U.S. territories.

Pregnant women with evidence of Zika virus: As of September 1, there were more than 1,750 pregnant women with evidence of Zika virus.
•671 pregnant women in U.S. states and District of Columbia.

In addition, there have been 38 cases of Guillain-Barré syndrome in the U.S. and U.S. territories.

For a state-by-state table of Zika cases in the U.S. visit: http://www.cdc.gov/zika/geo/united-states.html</s>MIAMI (AP) — Business owners are anxious for federal health officials to lift a travel advisory warning pregnant women and their partners to avoid parts of Miami and South Beach that have been identified as zones of active transmission of the Zika virus.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has said it could lift its advisory for a 1-square-mile zone encompassing Miami's Wynwood neighborhood on Sept. 19 if no new locally contracted cases are confirmed, The Miami Herald reports (http://hrld.us/2bZrzIO).

Business owners and analysts say if Zika infections persist in Miami and a 1.5-square-mile portion of Miami Beach, visitors who have been waiting to make reservations in Miami-Dade County may turn elsewhere. The Wynwood Business Improvement District has asked the city of Miami for money to compensate for Zika's impact.

Cancellations since the first local Zika infection was confirmed in Wynwood in late July have forced Felipe Correa to lay off one employee from his company running tours in Miami, Key West and the Everglades.

"My Miami tour basically collapsed ... all of my pre-arrival reservations canceled," said Correa.

Connecticut resident Coco Lewis decided to move her annual birthday party from South Beach to Las Vegas next month because of Zika.

"We don't want to chance it," said Lewis, 23. "It's just too risky."

South Florida's luxury real estate market, already slumping because of weak foreign currencies, is reporting cancellations by potential buyers from New York and Europe.

"Zika is a deal-breaker for clients who plan to have children," said Senada Adzem of brokerage Douglas Elliman.

The European Centre for Disease Control and Prevention has classified all Miami-Dade County as an area of "widespread transmission." The United Kingdom has advised pregnant women to avoid the county for non-essential travel and consider postponing non-essential travel in the rest of Florida.

In August, leisure airfare prices fell 17 percent year-over-year at Miami International Airport and Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport, according to an analysis by Harrell Associates. Hotel bookings in greater downtown Miami fell by nearly 3 percent in the first three weeks of August compared to last year, according to data collected by analytics firm Smith Travel Report.

It's not clear how much of that decline is attributable to Zika.

Zika infection can cause severe brain-related birth defects, including a dangerously small head, if women are infected during pregnancy. The mosquito-borne virus also can be sexually transmitted.

Of Florida's 56 non-travel-related Zika cases, 11 have been traced to Miami Beach and 29 to Wynwood. The rest are being considered isolated cases and have not prompted authorities to issue warnings of local transmission.

Miami-Dade County officials expect to spend an extra $10 million fighting Zika through the summer. The city of Miami approved $247,000 for special events meant to draw customers back to Wynwood. The Florida Department of Economic Opportunity is surveying local businesses about economic damage related to Zika.

Miami Beach officials are hoping to minimize Zika's effect on the local economy. Hotels regularly spray for mosquitoes, and planes fly over the beach with banners reading, "Use insect repellent. No Zika."

Critics have been troubled by the release of information about Zika infections by Gov. Rick Scott and state agencies, saying not enough details have been provided about where infections are suspected and that the number of tourists contracting the virus in Florida may be under-reported.

Florida's health department told The Miami Herald (http://hrld.us/2c1fOBF) that eight out-of-state residents have contracted Zika in Florida but are not included in the state's total count of local Zika infections.

"The department reports cases of Florida residents," spokeswoman Mara Gambineri said.

As of Friday, health officials have confirmed 616 travel-related Zika cases statewide, including 84 pregnant women.
Miami Beach authorities begin spraying for the Zika virus despite protests.