With health officials in Arkansas, California and Virginia confirming cases of Zika virus infections in their states, the Obama administration urged disease experts and researchers to immediately develop tests, vaccines and treatments that can help stem the spread of the mosquito-borne illness.
U.S. President Barack Obama issued the directive on Tuesday, according to the White House, following a briefing on how the virus is transmitted.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), the Zika virus, which is being linked to an increase in brain damage occurrences in babies in Brazil, will likely spread to other countries in the Americas, including the U.S.
The White House said the president underlined the importance of accelerating research efforts in order to make better diagnostic tests, treatments and vaccines available, as well as to ensure that information regarding the Zika virus is accessible to all Americans.
The presidential briefing included officials from various health agencies including Director Thomas Frieden of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Director Anthony Fauci of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) and Secretary Sylvia Mathews Burwell of the Department of Health and Human Services.
The briefing covered different factors that could influence the potential transmission of the Zika virus in the U.S.
Confirmed Cases Of Zika Virus Infection In The U.S.
Three cases of Zika virus infections were reported on Tuesday in Arkansas, Virginia and Los Angeles County in California. Health officials said all three patients contracted the illness during a recent trip outside the country.
Despite these recent cases, disease experts say it is unlikely that a local outbreak of the Zika virus could occur in the country.
Dir. Beth Bell of the CDC's National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases (NCEZID) said there are several reasons why infection cases can be contained in the U.S.
First, the two mosquito species commonly associated with the virus, the Aedes aegypti and the Aedes albopictus, mostly live in southern and tropical areas of the country. This would limit transmission of the disease primarily in these regions.
Second, it is easier to disrupt the conditions and chain of events related to the spread of the Zika virus in the U.S. than in any other country.
An example of such differences in conditions is the preference of many Americans to use air conditioning instead of leaving windows at home open. This prevents virus-carrying mosquitoes from getting inside their homes.
Many U.S. municipalities and counties have programs to remove pools of stagnant water where mosquitoes can breed. They also use sprays to kill mosquitoes in their neighborhoods.
"These are all conditions that make it less likely for ongoing, large-scale spread to occur," Bell said.
To prevent further contraction of the Zika virus during overseas travel, health officials have cautioned Americans to check for travel alerts before leaving the country.
The CDC said it is also planning to add the Dominican Republic and the U.S. Virgin Islands to its list of areas with Zika virus alerts.
Photo : John Tann | Flickr
