WASHINGTON, DC – As public health officials continue working to prevent a major outbreak of the Zika virus in the United States, U.S. Senator Jack Reed today questioned the Directors of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases about the government’s preparation and planned response to the virus, which is spread by mosquitoes and is thought to cause birth defects.  Reed urged the federal officials to pursue a coordinated approach to support state and local agencies dealing with the virus response.

During the Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education Appropriations Subcommittee hearing, Dr. Thomas Frieden, Director of the CDC, and Dr. Anthony Fauci, Director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, testified that the Zika virus is not a major threat to most of the population.  The officials said their primary focus is on protecting pregnant women.

Senator Reed emphasized the need for coordination between federal agencies and a necessity to support public health departments and preventative activities at the state and local level.

“In terms of the state and local level, are you coordinating with the state public health departments and other agencies for spraying mosquitoes?  You mentioned that the state health departments are really the point of contact for pregnant women who have concerns, can you elaborate on your coordination with state and local?” asked Reed.

“We work very closely with state, tribal, territorial and local health departments and mosquito control districts, which can sometimes be separate areas.  In fact, one of the key components of the emergency supplemental request is to provide funding to do better at tracking and stopping the growth of mosquito populations,” answered Dr. Frieden.

This week, President Obama announced that he was seeking $1.8 billion in emergency funding from Congress to combat the Zika virus through a combination of mosquito control programs, vaccine research, education, and improving health care for low-income pregnant women.

The Zika virus has spread rapidly in South America, Central America and Caribbean countries like Puerto Rico, and the CDC is cautioning pregnant women to avoid travel to those affected areas.  The World Health Organization (WHO) has declared the Zika virus to be an international public health emergency, warning that the virus is strongly suspected to be the cause of a cluster of cases of microcephaly, a condition in which babies are born with incomplete brain development and abnormally small heads.

Earlier this month, Senator Reed sent a letter urging the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to enhance preparedness and coordinate with and support local public health departments that are on the frontlines of diagnosing and preventing cases of Zika and other mosquito-borne illnesses in the United States.  In addition, Reed has urged the federal government to prioritize research and development of a Zika vaccine.

During the hearing, Reed also encouraged the federal officials to look ahead to the next mosquito-borne threat, as the warmer summer months approach.

“One aspect in particular that I find intriguing is identifying the problem at the earliest possible stage.  We know the Zika virus – a mosquito-borne virus – is the current issue, but we can all expect there will be another wave of mosquito-borne viruses and what are we doing in terms of coordinating efforts between departments to try to identify the next threat as well as deal with this one?,” Reed questioned.

The WHO estimates up to four million people worldwide could be infected with the virus by the end of the year.

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