The independent source for health policy research, polling, and news.
41-60 of 73 results
Mosquito season may be ending in parts of the U.S., but public health officials say the additional resources will make a difference because the threat will not be measured in one cycle but in years.
Testing people — especially pregnant women — who may have been exposed to the virus is an integral part of the response strategy, but it’s putting a strain on this part of the nation’s public health infrastructure. New congressional funding could change that.
Most people who have been infected don’t have symptoms, so they don’t know they have the virus.
Based on lessons learned in the 2014 Ebola outbreak, the federal agency has designated teams to help identify patients and health care workers who have been exposed to the virus.
As Miami-Dade doubles down on aerial spraying of the insecticide naled to combat the mosquitoes that spread Zika, experts question that approach.
University of Southern California scientists determined the virus uses certain types of protein to interrupt the brain development of fetuses. The finding is a step toward the possible development of an intervention that could prevent the infection from leading to microcephaly.
For doctors in obstetrics and gynecology, discussions with pregnant patients now include mosquito protection, testing options and the risks of microcephaly and other long-term effects in babies.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention also directs that all pregnant women in the U.S. and its territories should be “assessed for possible Zika virus exposure” whenever they get a prenatal care visit.
Organizations ranging from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to the Pan American Health Organization offer a range of resources regarding the Zika virus to help keep travelers safe and informed about risks.
Many Dominican Republic immigrants in Florida and New York City brought Zika home after visiting the island, one of many destinations outside the U.S. where Zika has been active, say public health officials.
Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, recently spoke with KHN’s Carmen Heredia Rodriguez about vaccine development and the ongoing fight in Congress over emergency funding.
The Senate approved an amendment to a must-pass appropriations bill that provides $1.1 billion to combat the virus’s spread. A separate House proposal, which has drawn a veto threat from the White House, is also pending and it is not clear how they might compromise. But public health advocates say efforts are needed soon to fight the mosquito-based disease.
Public health officials are wrestling with how to safeguard and maintain blood bank reserves in the face of concerns that the Zika virus can be spread through transfusions.
Almost two-thirds say federal funds should help women in Zika-affected areas get access to abortion, family planning and contraception services, a new Kaiser Family Foundation survey finds.
Local mosquito control authorities prepare spray-and-trap offensive to halt Zika-carrying mosquitos in damp breeding grounds.
After weathering the catastrophe in New Orleans 12 years ago, Dr. Ruth Berggren moved to Texas, where she again finds herself in the center of a hurricane crisis. In a Q&A, she draws parallels between the harrowing events and pinpoints risks in Harvey’s aftermath.
Consumers planning a vacation who have worries about health issues may want to look into travel insurance that allows them to cancel the trip for any reason.
In these two high-risk states, public health workers face challenges in educating women about the virus and minimizing its impact.
The CDC is advising pregnant women, especially in the South, to take some precautions to avoid being bitten by mosquitoes that could carry the Zika virus. So far, Zika cases in Georgia are linked to travel, not bites.
Harris County, Texas, operates one of the largest mosquito control operations in the country, with more than 50 people who trap, freeze and test mosquitoes for threats such as Zika.
© 2026 KFF