Democratic members of the House Energy and Commerce Committee recently requested information from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on its efforts in preparing for and responding to a potential Zika virus outbreak over the summer, when mosquito populations will be at their peak.
The letter, signed by U.S. Reps. Frank Pallone, Jr. (D-NJ), Kathy Castor (D-FL), Gene Green (D-TX), and Diana DeGette (D-CO), stems from a recent Public Broadcasting Service report, which stated that federal funding to support Zika response efforts may be discontinued in July.
Funding cuts could potentially affect areas of surveilling Zika-related birth defects, Zika-related educational efforts, and follow-up visits from doctors for babies who were infected with the virus during pregnancy.
“While this funding has supported CDC and its state, local, and territorial partners’ response efforts up to this point, urgent questions exist as to whether sufficient funding is available to respond to the probable uptick in Zika virus infections during the upcoming summer travel and mosquito season,” the members said in a public letter to CDC Acting Director Anna Schuchat.
Information sought by the representatives include inquiring about how much funding remained available from Zika activities in FY2017, which Zika programs have been unable to receive CDC support due to lack of funding, which state or local public health grants could lose funding in July, and if incidents of Zika-related birth defects would remain the same in 2017 as compared to the previous year.
Zika virus is typically transmitted by the Aedes aegpyti species mosquito and sexual contact. Symptoms in most cases involve joint pain, fever, rash, and headaches. More severely, the virus has been linked to microcephaly of the fetus in pregnant women and Guillain-Barré syndrome.