SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP) – The U.S. government on Friday declared a public health emergency in Puerto Rico as a result of a Zika epidemic.
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Zika is known to cause microcephaly and other severe fetal brain defects in newborns and has been associated with other adverse pregnancy outcomes, including miscarriage, stillbirth and serious neurological problems.
Among US states and territories, Puerto Rico is expected to see the worst of the Zika outbreak due to its tropical climate and a lack of infrastructure for mosquito control.
Puerto Rico’s health department reported Friday that 10,690 people had been infected with the mosquito-borne virus in the last seven months.
More significantly, three more locally transmitted Zika cases in Miami-Dade were reported, bringing the total to 25 cases believed to be caused by mosquito bites in South Florida. In July, the USA reported its first locally transmitted cases of Zika in the southern state of Florida.
Samples of Aedes aegypti mosquitoes, responsible for transmitting dengue and Zika, sit in a petri dish.
“This administration is committed to meeting the Zika outbreak in Puerto Rico with the necessary urgency”, HHS Secretary Sylvia Burwell said in a statement. The last time Health and Human Services declared such an emergency was following Superstorm Sandy, which affected a significant portion of the East Coast in 2012.
In a late-afternoon conference call, Stewart said as part of a “spill the water campaign”, classroom materials were being distributed to teachers and administrators across the state so that they can encourage students “to take simple steps in order to help prevent Zika”, including removing standing water, using insect repellent and wearing protective clothing. The Obama administration said Thursday it would shift $81 million from biomedical research and antipoverty programs to pay for development of a Zika vaccine.
Gov. Alejandro Garcia Padilla said he had asked federal officials to declare a public health emergency and thanked them for their support. More than 100 pregnant women infected with Zika in Puerto Rico who have given birth have had healthy babies, officials said.
“Zika poses a hidden threat to future generations of Puerto Ricans and I feel the responsibility to do everything in my power to fight the spread of it”, he said.
Zika has spread rapidly through Latin America and the Caribbean region since 2015.
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A bill providing $US1.1 billion was blocked by Democrats after Republicans attached language to stop abortion-provider Planned Parenthood from using that government funding for healthcare services, mainly in USA territories like Puerto Rico.
