The organisation added current evidence on persistence of Zika virus in semen, its infectiousness and impact on sexual transmission remains limited. As of Tuesday, the state’s Department of Health tallied 633 reported cases of Zika infection, including 80 pregnant women.
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Intrexon Corp said on Wednesday a bipartisan coalition of Florida politicians had urged the US government to step up efforts to fight Zika, including sanctioning the emergency use of the company’s genetically engineered mosquitoes. Many people who have left the country have acquired the disease before returning home.
The $1.1 billion Zika bill would provide funding to help local governments control mosquito populations and, most importantly, support researchers who are studying the virus and developing potential vaccines.
The congressman said Floridians are angry.
Zika infections in pregnant women have been shown to cause microcephaly – a severe birth defect in which the head and brain are undersized – as well as other brain abnormalities.
President Barack Obama in February asked for $1.9 billion in emergency spending to fight Zika. That bill is stalled in the Senate, where Democrats are blocking it in a dispute over restrictions on Planned Parenthood. Democrats refused to back the modified bill in July, and both sides continue to blame the other.
House Speaker Paul Ryan was unmoved by this gesture, accusing the Senate of playing games. “And I rise with about 100 mosquitoes straight from Florida”, Jolly said. “Let’s pass this bill”, Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., said at a separate news conference, which featured a baby. He said it is too bad that candidates are going to spend money on campaign commercials about Zika, instead of responding together to solve the public health crisis.
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Jolly, a first-term representative has distanced himself hardline Republican views on climate change and guns, also lamented that the issue of Zika would be used for political attacks ahead of the election. “You see, I brought these mosquitoes here today to convey that fear and that anxiety of millions of Americans and Floridians”. Here we are nearly seven months later, 200 days later, and Congress still has refused to provide the resources necessary to protect American families from this virus.
