The American Society for Microbiology sent a letter this week in support of President Barack Obama’s request to the Senate and House Committees on Appropriations for a $1.8 billion fund for emergency Zika relief.
The letter was signed by Lynn Enquist, president of the American Society for Microbiology, Ron M. Atlas, chair, of the American Society for Microbiology’s Public and Scientific Affairs Board, and Stefano Bertuzzi, CEO of the organization.
“With an insidious pathogen like Zika virus that causes asymptomatic or minimally symptomatic disease during the acute stage of infection, there may be other possible sequelae to infection yet to be recognized,” the letter said. “Recognition of these sequelae will require the gathering of sufficient data from populations living in highly endemic areas like Brazil, Columbia, and El Salvador and finding epidemiologic links between serologic evidence of infection and subsequent health problems. The possible links between Zika virus infection and microcephaly and Guillain-Barré syndrome were recognized in a fortuitous fashion – a regional health issue was detected and then linked retrospectively to Zika virus infection. We urge approval of the funds requested so that heretofore unrecognized connections between Zika virus infection and human disease can be discerned prospectively in a systematic, scientifically rigorous, and statistically meaningful way.
“Much of the success against this threat will depend on biomedical research and scientific discovery of new vaccines and treatments. The fight against Zika virus must be informed by scientific understanding gained from research. Although the Zika virus was first identified in 1947, its biology is not well understood. The funding requested would help further research on areas such as molecular studies in Zika pathogenesis and transmission. Additionally, there is a notable lack of understanding about the ecological parameters governing transmission. We need more research on natural hosts of the Zika virus, the rate and speed of transmission of infection among these vectors/carriers and humans, the variables of change on a regional-to-continental scale and, importantly, how transmission can be controlled. It is vitally important to conduct basic and applied research that answers questions about this virus, ultimately leading to prevention and treatment measures.”
One of the greatest threats of the Zika infection is that there are currently no vaccines or known treatments for the condition. The letter adds that the medical community needs more knowledge to identify tangible ways to identify, diagnose and prevent more Zika infections.