TAMPA, Fla., Rabi'II 25, 1437, February 04, 2016, SPA -- Florida Governor Rick Scott declared a public health emergency in four counties with travel-related cases of the Zika virus on Wednesday, and ordered state officials to increase mosquito control efforts in some of the most populous parts of the state, according to Reuters. "Although Florida's current nine Zika cases were travel-related, we have to ensure Florida is prepared and stays ahead of the spread of the Zika virus in our state," Scott said in a statement. The counties are Miami-Dade in south Florida, Hillsborough in the Tampa Bay region, Lee County in southwest Florida and Santa Rosa County in the Florida Panhandle. Scott directed the state's surgeon general to declare the public health emergency, and for state officials to pay special attention to mosquito spraying in residential areas in those counties. Florida is the third most populous state in the country. --SPA 02:14 LOCAL TIME 23:14 GMT www.spa.gov.sa/w