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Baltimore to Spray for Mosquitoes Amid Zika Concerns

BALTIMORE (WJZ) -- With an increasing number of homegrown cases of  Zika in Florida, pressure is mounting at the Federal level to prevent the mosquito-borne virus linked to brain related birth defects from spreading.

Just this week the Food and Drug Administration began urging all U.S. blood centers to start screening for Zika, starting with 11 states. Alabama, Arizona, California, Georgia, Hawaii, Louisiana, Mississippi, New Mexico, New York, South Carolina and Texas are all on the list.

"The goal of the recommendation is to keep the blood supply safe for all those that might need blood transfusions," said Dr. Peter Marks of the FDA.

Also this week health officials reporting the first case of the virus spread through sex by a Maryland man with no symptoms of the disease.

"So far there are over 70 cases of individual with Zika here in Maryland all of these cases are associated with travel," said Baltimore City Health Commissioner Dr. Leana Wen.

Health experts say there's still much to learn about how Zika is transmitted from person to person, and in the meantime targeting these mosquitoes at their source is a top priority.

On Sunday night, mosquito control services will begin spraying in specific city neighborhoods.

"These are areas that we have determined together with our partners in the Maryland Department of Agriculture and our city and state partners to have a high concentration of the type of mosquito that could carry Zika," said Dr. Wen.

Health officials will also be going door-to-door to inspect homes and remind homeowners to get rid of any standing water where these mosquitoes could breed.

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