For the first time ever, the CDC has issued a travel warning inside the United States, as the Zika virus has broken out in Miami, and some public health experts are warning of an epidemic. Anxiety is growing among pregnant women at risk of giving birth to babies with deformed skulls and brains. Mosquitos that carry the virus don't travel far, but insecticide spraying will have limited value because Zika is also sexually transmitted. A possible vaccine is being developed, but money is running out, and Congress has failed to resolve political differences and appropriate $33 million in funds.
A public health scare and congressional inaction
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Credits
Guests:
- Sammy Mack - WLRN - @sammymack
- Anthony Fauci - National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases - @NIH
- Laurie Garrett - Council on Foreign Relations - @Laurie_Garrett
- Phil Lounibos - University of Florida - @UFEntomology