CDC: There’s No Longer Any Doubt That Zika Causes Birth Defects
April 14, 2016
Morning Briefing
“Never before in history has there been a situation where a bite from a mosquito can result in a devastating malformation,” says CDC head Dr. Tom Frieden, ending months of debate about the virus’s effects.
Viewpoints: Zika Virus Raises Questions About Pandemic Readiness; Cheers And Jeers For Obamacare
April 27, 2016
Morning Briefing
A selection of opinions on health care from around the country.
WHO: There’s No Public Health Justification For Adjusting Olympics Timing, Location
May 31, 2016
Morning Briefing
About 150 health experts called on the organization to consider postponing or moving the Rio Summer Olympics because of the virus to no avail. Meanwhile, Congress has left for recess without approving funding to fight Zika, and local health departments are scrambling.
White House Plans To Use Ebola Funds To Help Fight Zika
April 6, 2016
Morning Briefing
Officials say the administration will transfer much of the $600 million to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. President Barack Obama had asked for about $1.9 billion to combat the virus, but Congress stalled on the request saying the country should use up the leftover funding for Ebola.
Promising Results For Dengue Vaccine Bode Well For Zika Efforts
March 17, 2016
Morning Briefing
Researchers have been uncharacteristically optimistic about the vaccine, which protected all 21 volunteers who were injected with it and then infected with the virus. Because the Dengue and Zika viruses are in the same family, scientists could build off the work of the successful vaccine.
Potential Weapon On The Zika Battlefront: Genetically Engineered Mosquitoes
March 7, 2016
Morning Briefing
The owner of the company testing the new technology — modifying male mosquitoes to pass on a gene to make their offspring self-destruct — says the approach could save millions of people from being infected with the virus. In other outbreak news, drugmakers race to find a vaccine, and researchers are finding that the effects of Zika go beyond microcephaly.
White House Warns More Money Needed On Zika: ‘We Should Not Play With Fire Here’
April 7, 2016
Morning Briefing
The Obama administration ended a stalemate with Congress by transferring about $510 million in leftover Ebola funds and $79 million from other accounts to Zika efforts. But officials say it won’t be enough.
FDA To Permit Use Of Experimental Test To Screen Blood Donations For Zika
March 31, 2016
Morning Briefing
Experts are applauding the Food and Drug Administration’s speed in clearing the test, noting that similar action took almost a year in the case of the West Nile virus.
Puerto Rico’s Landscape, Climate and Economy Create Perfect Storm For Zika Outbreak
March 21, 2016
Morning Briefing
One-quarter of the population is expected to be infected with the virus within a year, and up to 80 percent could be eventually affected overall. In other Zika news, if the virus starts spreading in the U.S. it could set off a political debate just in time for the presidential election, the CDC adds Cuba to its travel warning list, Connecticut confirms its first case, and Democrats are calling for Republicans to pass Zika funding.
Zika Linked to Guillain-Barre Syndrome In New Study
March 1, 2016
Morning Briefing
During an outbreak in French Polynesia, health officials noticed an increase in patients with Guillain-Barre symptoms — which include temporary paralysis. In other Zika news, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention forecasts that 20 percent of Puerto Rico’s residents will be infected with the virus.
No Sign Of Movement From House Republicans On Emergency Zika Funding
March 8, 2016
Morning Briefing
The lawmakers are adamant that Ebola funds should be used first, but the administration says there isn’t enough left to properly fight the virus. In other Zika news, there’s not much doctors can tell American women who are concerned about getting infected, Brazilian women face difficult decisions, and in Venezuela, the outbreak is complicated by an economic crisis.
Houston Health Officials’ Message: Zika Virus Is Coming, We’d Better Get Ready
March 22, 2016
Morning Briefing
Several elements — its location as a “gateway city,” the fact that it is home to the mosquitoes that carry Zika and its economic struggles — combine to create a fertile ground for the virus. In other news, during President Barack Obama’s historic visit with Cuban President Raul Castro, the two leaders discussed the countries’ collaboration over Zika research, among other health care related topics.
Officials: Zika ‘Scarier Than Initially Thought’; Ebola Funds Not Enough To ‘Get The Job Done’
April 12, 2016
Morning Briefing
While National Institutes of Health and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention officials say they still don’t expect a widespread outbreak in the U.S., they also warn that it’s imperative that states are ready for the worst-case scenario. Meanwhile, the virus has been linked to a second autoimmune disorder.
Zika Outbreak Shines Light On Public Health Vulnerabilities
February 23, 2016
Morning Briefing
With diminished public health funding following budget cuts, state and local officials across the country say they would be hard pressed to handle outbreaks such as Zika. Meanwhile, President Barack Obama asked Congress for $1.9 billion in emergency spending to combat the virus.
Google Donating $1M, Engineering Resources To Combat Zika
March 3, 2016
Morning Briefing
“Unlike many other global pandemics, the spread of Zika has been harder to identify, map and contain,” said Jacquelline Fuller, director of Google’s nonprofit arm. In other outbreak news, Republican lawmakers continue to be skeptical of the president’s emergency funding request, saying there’s money left that was earmarked for Ebola. Health officials, however, warn that would cripple the efforts to develop an Ebola vaccine.
CDC Confirms Zika In 9 Pregnant Women In United States
February 29, 2016
Morning Briefing
Federal health officials also reported that at least two pregnant Americans have opted to get an abortion after they were infected with the virus. In other outbreak news, Puerto Rico’s fight against mosquitoes is driven by the impending rainy season, Colombian researchers study other Zika-related conditions, and nonprofit clinics are becoming Texas’ first line of defense.
Scientists Worry Rising Tide Of State Anti-Abortion Laws Could Stymie Zika Research
March 28, 2016
Morning Briefing
They say the information they need to battle the outbreak is tied to fetal tissue, but the list continues to grow of states that are enacting restrictions on the donation of the tissue. In other Zika news, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issues new guidance on how long people should wait to try to conceive after they’ve been infected, Brazil is seizing abortion drugs meant for women who are at risk, and San Diego has its first case where the virus was transmitted sexually.
Rapid Hospital-Based Zika Screening Test Coming Soon
February 25, 2016
Morning Briefing
Doctors at Houston Methodist Hospital say they have developed a test to identify if a patient is positive for the Zika virus in as quickly as one day, without sending samples to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for diagnosis.
Pope Remains Silent On Zika During Mexico Visit
February 18, 2016
Morning Briefing
The country has confirmed six pregnant women have been infected with the virus, but the pontiff did not mention the outbreak during his trip there. In other Zika news, health officials urge Congress to act quickly on approving funding.
