Obama: Money to fight Zika is running out

Money to fight the outbreak of the mosquito-borne Zika virus in the United States is running out, US President Barack Obama said, calling the situation “critical” and urging lawmakers to act.

Obama spoke to reporters at the Pentagon, where he said the US government is taking the news of 15 cases of Zika being locally transmitted in Florida “extremely seriously”.

“As our public health experts have been warning for some time, we are now seeing the first locally transmitted cases of the Zika virus by mosquitoes in the continental United States,” Obama said.

Obama asked Congress in February to allocate US$1.9 bil (RM7.6 bil) for the fight against Zika, but was met with resistance by Republican lawmakers who said the funds should instead be moved from coffers previously reserved for fighting the Ebola outbreak.

“Not only did the Republican-led Congress not pass our request, they worked to cut it. Then they left for summer recess without passing any new funds for Zika,” said Obama.

“Meanwhile, the people on the front lines have been making do. Now the money we need to fight Zika is running out.”

Without funding, Obama warned, clinical vaccine trials could be delayed.

“The situation is getting critical,” he said.

“So this is not the time for politics.”

In California, two babies were born with a Zika-related defect

The babies had the severe birth defect microcephaly after their mothers contracted the Zika virus, authorities said Thursday, in a first for the state.

The California Department of Public Health (CDPH) did not reveal where the mothers were from but said they were infected this year in a country where it is endemic.

“While mosquitoes that can carry the virus have been found in 12 California counties, there is no evidence these mosquitoes are transmitting Zika in the state at this time,” the CDPH said.

The state has reported 114 cases of travel-associated Zika infections in 22 California counties as of July 29.

“This is a sobering reminder for Californians that Zika can cause serious harm to a developing foetus,” said CDPH director Karen Smith, urging pregnant women to avoid areas with known Zika transmission.

There is no cure for the virus, which causes no symptoms in four out of five cases. People who do feel sick from it may experience a rash, joint pain or eye infection.

However, in pregnant women Zika can cause permanent damage to the developing foetus, including microcephaly, a condition in which the infant’s skull and brain are unusually small.

Scientists are scrambling to find a way to contain the pathogen, which is spreading in 50 countries and territories, mainly in Latin America, the Caribbean and the US state of Florida. — AFP

Not only did the republican-led Congress not pass our request, they worked to cut it. Then they left for summer recess without passing any new funds for Zika. Barack Obama