A Sarasota-based infectious disease specialist was among experts testifying about the Zika virus to Florida’s congressional delegation in Washington, D.C. on Wednesday. “No county in Florida is impervious to the Zika threat,” says Dr. Vilma Vega. “The number of cases we have seen thus far is only the beginning. This virus could spread exponentially across the state of Florida in the months ahead. We must prepare and plan for the worst.”

At the same hearing, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention director Dr. Tom Frieden says it will take years to develop a vaccine for Zika, a mosquito-borne illness linked to birth defects. He told lawmakers that Congress needs to approve funding quickly to fight the disease.  

Vega told SRQ the state so far has 183 cases of confirmed Zika virus, 38 of which involve pregnant women. The bulk of the infections have been in the Miami and Broward County area she said. There have been 18 tests in Sarasota, but so far no cases of Zika have been confirmed in Sarasota or Manatee counties. But she said every county could be vulnerable, especially as travelers from South Florida come here.

US Rep. Vern Buchanan, R-Sarasota, serves as co-chair of the state delegation and used the hearing to urge action on funding. “I’m confident our delegation will be instrumental in encouraging Congress to put aside partisanship and give disease-fighters the resources they need to protect women and newborns,” he says. And in Florida, support for funding has been bipartisan even as the financial side of debate divides lawmakers nationally. In addition to Florida members of the House, US Rep. Marco Rubio, the most vocal Republican supporter of funding in the Senate, also attended the hearing.

Buchanan has supported a request from President Barack Obama for $1.9 billion to fight the virus, and was the first Republican in the House to do so. The House and Senate are in ongoing negotiations over an emergency funding package. “We need to outpace the virus,” Buchanan says. “It’s no longer a question of whether people will be infected, but when and how many.” 

The benefits of olive oil are countless: the slick stuff is chock-full of cancer-preventing antioxidants, heart-disease-fighting fatty acids and hair-and-skin strengthening vitamins E and K. A staple in Mediterranean diets (and long believed to be the secret behind Italian and Aegean longevity), one local olive oil company has taken the Mediterranean elixir and given it a distinctly Floridian twist: blood orange soaked oil. Known as the sanguinello in Italy, blood oranges boast their own health benefits; unlike their navel and tangerine cousins, these red citrus superfoods contain anthocyanins, powerful nutrients that combat skin-aging free radicals and prevent inflammation. Produced by infusing extra-virgin olive oil with blood orange, the Floridian-Sicilian mix tastes tangy and slightly sweet, practically hungering to be drizzled over summer cuisines. Pour Florida Olive Oil Company’s citrusy potion atop a mound of in-season avocado and arugula, create a salmon or tuna marinade or whip up an easy hors d'oeuvre with a splash of oil and Maldon sea salt flakes over toasty sourdough bread. To combat the drying summer scorch, get a little crafty and make up a DIY, oil-based restorative hair mask—try this avocado and blood-orange oil combo from Lauren Conrad).  

Florida Olive Oil Company, 384 St. Armands Circle, Sarasota, 941-388-2640 or 307 West Venice Ave., Venice, 941-483-1865

Real estate transactional attorney William C. McComb from Berlin Patten Ebling firm, has been recognized as part of the 2016 Super Lawyers Florida Rising Star list. This honor is only given to lawyers who have exhibited excellence in practice and are in the top 2.5 percent of practicing young attorneys in the state of Florida. 

Berlin Patten Ebling

A kitchen and bath cabinetry design and remodeling company that has been in business since 2005, SRQuality Kitchens & Baths will be relocating from Port Charlotte to Lakewood Ranch in July. The company works together with customers to evaluate lifestyle needs, design preferences and budget considerations. They take a hands-on approach and monitor the projects from consult to completion.  

SRQuality Kitchens & Baths

Halfacre Construction Company was recently prequalified as a potential construction management firm for future Collier County Public Schools' projects. Halfacre Construction was recognized at a school board meeting on May 10. The contract starts July 1, 2016 and will be active until June 30, 2017. The multi-year prequalification also has the option of two additional years. 

Halfacre Construction