19 New Florida Zika Cases Confirmed as Congressional Funding Stalls

PASCO COUNTY, FL — Another travel-related Zika virus case has been confirmed in Pasco County along with 18 others across the state. Wednesday’s confirmation of 19 new cases comes one day after the U.S. Senate once again failed to advance an emergency $1.1 billion spending package to help battle the virus’ spread.

The Florida Department of Health on Wednesday said it had confirmed 11 travel-related cases in Miami-Dade County and four in Broward. Single travel-related cases were confirmed in Pasco, Brevard, Monroe and St. Johns counties. No new non-travel related cases were reported Wednesday.

Wednesday’s announcement brings Florida’s total number of travel-related cases up to 596. There are also 80 cases involving pregnant women and 56 non-travel related cases confirmed as well.

Congress returned from its summer break on Tuesday. The Senate immediately took up the issue of a $1.1 billion spending package to fight the spread of the Zika virus. Senate Democrats, however, once again blocked the Republican bill, which failed to garner the 60 votes needed to advance.

Earlier this year, President Obama pitched a $1.9 billion emergency funding package to help fight the spread of the Zika virus in the United States. While that proposal received some support from both Democrats and Republicans, the issue ultimately became bogged down in Congress.

A bipartisan compromise bill was eventually floated, but failed. Another attempt was made before the summer recess, but that, too, failed due to disputes about provisions that would have restricted funding for birth control in the United States and Puerto Rico, NBC reported. The failed July bill also represented a significant reduction in Obama’s requested $1.9 billion with only about $1.1 billion allotted.

Senators on both sides of the aisle are blaming partisan politics for Tuesday’s failure to advance the spending package.

“It’s hard to explain why – despite their own calls for funding – Senate Democrats decided to block a bill that could help keep pregnant women and babies safer from Zika,” CNN quoted Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell as saying.

“Republicans were more interested in attacking Planned Parenthood and flying the Confederate flag – can’t make this stuff up,” the network quoted Minority Leader Harry Reid as saying.

How soon the issue of funding will come back up in Congress remains unclear.

Florida’s total Zika case count now stands at 732. Just last week, the Florida Department of Agriculture confirmed that three mosquito samples taken in the Miami-Dade area had tested positive for Zika virus.

Zika is a mosquito-borne illness that presents with a fever, joint pain and rash. The illness typically goes away within a week, but some cases may require hospitalization. Zika may also be spread through sexual contact, health officials say.

The CDC has confirmed that the Zika virus is responsible for causing severe defects in unborn children, including microcephaly, which leaves babies with abnormally small heads and often with brains that do not develop properly.

The CDC recommends women who are pregnant or are considering becoming pregnant postpone travel to areas where there is widespread Zika infection.

To help residents resolve questions about the virus and its spread, the state of Florida has set up a Zika Virus Information Hotline at 1-855-622-6735. More information may also be found on the FDOH website.

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