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4th pregnant women tests positive for Zika in Florida

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MIAMI - Health officials say a fourth pregnant woman has tested positive for the Zika virus in Florida.

Secretary of Health Dr. John Armstrong announced the new case Monday in his daily Zika update. A news release says the new case and three reported last week are believed to be travel-related. Officials weren't identifying the counties where the pregnant women were diagnosed.

Zika is rapidly spreading through Latin America, and scientists are studying the virus' possible connection to babies born with unusually small heads. The birth defect called microcephaly can signal underlying brain damage.

A total of 42 cases have now been reported in Florida. Miami-Dade County leads the state with 17 reported cases. All the cases so far have been travel-related, but the virus can be spread by bites from mosquitoes that are common in Florida.