Story highlights Miami-Dade County begins spraying a 10-mile area to curtail Zika virus

CDC issues travel advisory for pregnant women and their partners

(CNN) As the Zika scare ramps up in south Florida, Miami-Dade County Mayor Carlos Gimenez said authorities will target 10 square miles north of downtown Miami to combat the virus.

Citing recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention -- which issued a travel warning Monday -- and the Florida Department of Health, Gimenez said the mosquito control team would start spraying the area, which includes the Wynwood neighborhood, by Wednesday morning.

"I ask all residents to continue to do their part by draining standing water, protecting ourselves and our families by using mosquito repellant and covering up when going outdoors, especially during early morning and evening hours," Gimenez said Tuesday.

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The Zika virus has been linked to microcephaly, which causes unusually small heads and brain damage, in children born to infected mothers, as well as to blindness, deafness, seizures and other congenital defects.

In adults, the virus is linked to a form of temporary paralysis called Guillain-Barré syndrome.

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