Members of the Florida congressional delegation continue to urge the federal government to help prepare the Sunshine State for the Zika virus even as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) sent 950 Zika antibody tests to Florida.
After cases of Zika were reported in Florida, Gov. Rick Scott asked the CDC for 1,000 test kits. On Tuesday, Scott announced the state had received 950 kits.
“We appreciate that the CDC sent 950 Zika antibody tests to Florida so we can better test those who have traveled to affected areas and had symptoms of Zika,” Scott said. “While having these tests readily available is great progress, we are still waiting on the CDC to schedule a conference call with Florida hospital workers to ensure they fully understand the symptoms, treatments and proper precautions for Zika. We will continue to do all we can to ensure our state is prepared for the possible spread of the Zika virus.”
Up in Washington, D.C., members of the Florida congressional delegation fell in line behind proposals for the federal government to take a larger role in preparations against the virus.
On Tuesday, U.S. Rep. Vern Buchanan, R-Fla., announced he was co-sponsoring U.S. Rep. Chris Stewart’s, R-Utah, “Zika Response and Safety Act.” Stewart’s bill would allow unspent federal funds be used to take on the virus.
“Pregnant women and their newborns are particularly vulnerable and need our help,” Buchanan said. “Congress needs to act now before the summer months arrive and the mosquito-borne virus becomes a burgeoning health crisis in Florida and other southern states.”
U.S. Rep. Dennis Ross, R-Fla., part of the House leadership as senior deputy majority whip, said on Monday he would co-sponsor the “Adding Zika Virus to the FDA Priority Review Voucher Program Act" from U.S. Rep. G.K. Butterfield, D-NC. This proposal adds Zika to the Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) Tropical Disease Priority Review Voucher Program. U.S. Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, R-Fla., co-sponsored Butterfield’s bill last week.
“The emerging outbreak of the tropical Zika virus is a public health crisis that demands an immediate and urgent response, which is why I co-sponsored bipartisan legislation to protect the people of District 15 and the United States from this dangerous virus,” Ross said. “The World Health Organization has called Zika a global public health emergency, and Florida Gov. Rick Scott declared a public health emergency last week in four counties, including Hillsborough County, after at least nine cases of the illness were detected in Florida. Zika infections have occurred in Africa, Southeast Asia, the Pacific Islands, and the Americas, and are transmitted to humans by mosquitoes, which are highly common throughout Florida. The Zika virus can infect pregnant women and result in birth defects, including microcephaly and neurological disorders in newborns. The virus also causes skin rashes, conjunctivitis, muscle and joint pain, and headaches in adults.
“A vaccine for the Zika virus is underway, but without a Priority Review Voucher in place, this vaccine may not be available for many years,” Ross added. “We do not have the luxury of time, and I strongly urge my colleagues to join this bipartisan effort and encourage the rapid development of a vaccine or treatment for this virus. The right incentives made available through the Priority Review Voucher Program encourage the private sector to develop innovative treatments and cures. We need to do everything we can to make sure we eliminate any roadblocks to the development, testing and ultimate distribution of a vaccine for the Zika virus.”
On the other side of the aisle, U.S. Rep. Patrick Murphy, D-Fla., said on Monday afternoon that he backed President Barack Obama’s call for $1.8 billion to fight the Zika virus while repeating his and U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson’s, D-Fla., call for a Zika czar.
"With new cases of Zika continuing to be reported in Florida, Puerto Rico, and across Central and South America, proactive action is needed, with the first step being emergency funding,” Murphy said. “While I hope Congress immediately acts to provide the resources to implement the administration's prevention and response strategy, I am proud to support legislation that will allow our federal agencies to get to work right away by allowing all remaining Ebola funds to be used for Zika efforts. I look forward to working closely with federal, state, and local officials to make sure we have the resources in place to respond strongly and quickly as the situation continues to evolve and hope that the administration will appoint a Zika 'czar' to make sure everyone is on the same page across all agencies and levels of government."
U.S. Rep. Kathy Castor, D-Fla., urged the U.S. House Energy & Commerce Committee and the U.S. House Health and Oversight and Investigations Subcommittee, both of which she sits on, to hold hearings on the matter. On Monday, Castor sent letters urging those hearings so she and other representatives can get more information on the matter.
“Having the appropriate government officials testify before the committee will help our fellow Americans better understand the current state of the Zika virus in the United States, how our public health infrastructure is working to address and prevent the virus in communities like mine, and what the research community is doing to learn more about the impact of the virus and appropriate treatments for patients,” Castor wrote.
Even as the federal government looks ready to ramp up its fight against the Zika virus, Florida continues to have 16 reports of the virus in the Sunshine State as state Surgeon General Dr. John Armstrong offered his latest update on Tuesday afternoon as there have been no new cases reported over the last 24 hours. All of the cases in Florida are travel related with six cases in Miami Dade, three in Hillsborough County, two in both Broward and Lee counties and Osceola, Santa Rosa and St. Johns counties all having one each.
Reach Kevin Derby at kderby@sunshinestatenews.com or follow him on Twitter: @KevinDerbySSN
