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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.

FDA Tentatively Approves Field Trial Using Genetically Engineered Mosquitoes To Battle Zika

March 14, 2016 Morning Briefing

The agency will make its final decision after it has given the public time to comment on the experiment but says it has concluded that the mosquitoes would not cause harm to the people or environment. In other Zika outbreak news, the CDC releases new guidance about how elevation affects risk of contracting the disease, and health officials confirm 201 cases in Puerto Rico.

Congress Goes On Recess Without Zika Funding Vote And Officials Scramble To Buy Time

March 24, 2016 Morning Briefing

Health officials say they’re so strapped for resources that they’re moving money away from other critical health programs. In other public health news, parents may inaccurately project their own sleep problems on to their children, animal therapy relieves stress for health care providers, and scientists wonder if the trend of poor mental health in transgender individuals is a result from external or internal factors.

Weakest Spots Of Mosquito Control In U.S. Are Also The Places Where Zika-Carrier Is Most Likely To Appear

April 4, 2016 Morning Briefing

Traditional spraying — from trucks and planes — is mostly useless against this mosquito. Instead, beating it back will require a lot of mosquito workers dumping over a lot of water containers in a lot of backyards. However, the prospect of beefing up control is daunting to states and counties most likely to be affected because of their limited budgets and tight resources.

FDA Revises Donation Guidelines To Limit Blood Supply Exposure To Zika

February 17, 2016 Morning Briefing

With no Food and Drug Administration-licensed test to screen blood donations for Zika, waiting periods are recommended for at-risk people. In other outbreak news, WHO seeks $56 million to coordinate the international response and the CDC teams up with Brazil on a birth defect study. Meanwhile, experts address Zika conspiracy theories.

Lack Of Understanding Of Zika Makes Virus More ‘Insidious, Cunning And Evil’ Than Ebola

February 16, 2016 Morning Briefing

The mystery surrounding the virus has impeded efforts of world health officials. In other Zika news, Venezuela is hit hard by an outbreak, the virus sparks a pharmaceutical gold rush, WHO says a Zika test is only weeks away, and Catholic leaders aren’t changing their opinion on contraception and abortion.

Experts Alarmed By Severity Of Malformations In Babies Affected By Zika Virus

February 8, 2016 Morning Briefing

As concerns about birth defects linked to Zika increase, medical analysis is intensifying. In other Zika news, U.S. health experts warn about jumping to conclusions on how the virus is transmitted, and New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie would be willing to consider a quarantine on people coming home from Brazil after the Olympics.

WHO To Decide If Zika Is ‘Public Health Emergency’ On Monday

February 1, 2016 Morning Briefing

The World Health Organization is holding an emergency meeting to decide if the Zika virus requires a coordinated global response. Meanwhile, NPR looks at how Puerto Rico has been affected, how the virus is sparking the abortion debate in Brazil again, and how women in affected areas have limited access to contraception because of religious doctrines.

Glaxo Weighing Feasibility Of Zika Vaccine

January 26, 2016 Morning Briefing

Meanwhile, women in Brazil, where the virus has affected as many 1.3 million people, are being advised to avoid pregnancy.

WHO Declares Zika A Global Health Emergency

February 2, 2016 Morning Briefing

Even though the tie between the virus and microcephaly, which causes babies to be born with abnormally small heads, is still unclear, the World Health Organization says the seriousness of the cases is a strong enough reason for the designation.

Sexual Transmission Of Zika Virus, Thought To Have Been Rare, Raising Concerns As More Cases Emerge

March 2, 2016 Morning Briefing

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is investigating more than a dozen cases where pregnant women whose only exposure to Zika was through unprotected sex have been infected.

Long Road Ahead For Genetically Modified Mosquito Trial In Florida

March 11, 2016 Morning Briefing

To help in the battle against Zika, the Florida Keys Mosquito Control District wants Oxitec, a company that has developed genetically modified mosquitoes that would help cull the population, to test them in a neighborhood of 444 homes on a peninsula north of Key West, but it’s not going to happen anytime soon. In other Zika news, NPR looks at problems with testing, such as long wait times for results, and health experts in Ohio lead the crusade against the virus.