Utah Reports First Zika-Related Death In Continental U.S.
The patient was elderly and had an underlying health condition. In other news, as Congress struggles to reach a deal over Zika funding, senior health officials warn that Ebola could ignite back into a pressing threat at any time, and lawmakers work to create a FEMA-like emergency health care fund.
The Associated Press:
1st Death Related To Zika Virus Seen In Continental US
A person infected with Zika has died in Utah, and while the exact cause is unclear, authorities said Friday it marks the first death related to the virus in the continental U.S. The unidentified Salt Lake County resident contracted the virus while traveling abroad to an area with a Zika outbreak, health officials said.The patient who died in late June was elderly and also suffered from another health condition, according to the Salt Lake County Health Department. (Whitehurst, 7/8)
The Washington Post:
First Zika-Related Death In Continental U.S. Reported In Utah
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Friday that it had been notified of the death. In April, the CDC reported the first U.S. death from Zika in a patient in Puerto Rico. That man, who was in his 70s, died from internal bleeding after developing severe thrombocytopenia -- a rare immune reaction to his infection that cause low levels of platelets that help blood clot. (Sun, 7/8)
Cleveland Plain Dealer:
President Obama's Health Chief Calls For Urgent Action On Zika Virus, Opioid Crisis
President Barack Obama's top health aide is redoubling efforts to get more funding to fight the Zika virus, calling on Congress to take urgent action on a request for a $1.9 billion appropriation before a looming deadline. U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Sylvia Mathews Burwell said the money is needed to help monitor and contain the virus, which has been linked to brain damage and other severe defects in children born to infected mothers. (Ross, 7/8)
Politico Pro:
Why Congress’ Zika Impasse Could Awaken Ebola Menace
While Congress dithers over the advancing Zika virus, another smoldering epidemic keeps threatening to burst back into flame. Ebola. Emergency funds to fight that deadly virus may run out in October because they were poached to fight Zika until Congress agreed on a plan to battle the new, mosquito-borne epidemic. (Allen, 7/8)
The Hill:
GOP Backs New Fund For Public Health
With Congress remains deadlocked over funding to fight the Zika virus, senior GOP leaders are working to head off yet another big public health funding fight. House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.), Appropriations Chairman Hal Rogers (R-Ky.) and others for weeks behind the scenes have been working on legislation to create an emergency fund for public health crises. (Ferris, 7/10)
Meanwhile, KHN offers some tips for those who are traveling during the outbreak —
Kaiser Health News:
Zika Traveling Tips: Some Issues To Consider
In a span of 13 months, a relatively unknown virus morphed into a global health emergency thanks to a pest less than four millimeters wide. The Pan American Health Organization reports more than 50,000 people in the Western Hemisphere are infected with the Zika virus. The primary mode of transmission is by mosquitoes — the Aedes aegypti, to be precise — and its relative the Aedes albopictus. But the virus can also be transmitted sexually. ... So far, no cases of locally transmitted Zika infection have been reported in the U.S. But, with summer vacations on many people’s minds, here is a breakdown of what travelers should know about where the virus is most likely to circulate and how the risks could affect travel plans. (Heredia Rodriguez, 7/11)
