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CIDRAP- Florida governor allocates funds to fight Zika in Miami-Dade

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  • CIDRAP- Florida governor allocates funds to fight Zika in Miami-Dade

    Source: http://www.cidrap.umn.edu/news-persp...ika-miami-dade


    Florida governor allocates funds to fight Zika in Miami-Dade
    Filed Under:
    Zika
    Stephanie Soucheray | News Reporter | CIDRAP News
    | Aug 22, 2016 Gov. Rick Scott of Florida today said he will allocate an additional $5 million from state funds to fight Zika virus in Miami-Dade County.
    The announcement comes after Miami Beach was named a site of active Zika transmission late last week. So far, Miami-Dade and Broward counties have seen 36 cases of non-travel?related Zika virus infection.
    "Following Friday's announcement, I have directed [Florida Health] to immediately allocate $5 million in state funding to Miami-Dade County to ensure the community has all the support they need. We know from our recent success reducing the zone in Wynwood that our efforts to aggressively spray for mosquitos and educate the public are working," Scott said in a statement.
    He said the money will be spent on additional mosquito-control staff, spraying, and community outreach. In June, Scott authorized $26.2 million in state funds for Zika preparedness.
    Unlike Wynwood, the Miami Beach neighborhood is not a good candidate for aerial spraying with naled, an insecticide used against the Aedes aegypti mosquito. Because the beachside community is dotted with high-rise towers and subject to ocean-front winds, the city will use backpack spraying to eliminate local mosquito populations.
    Zika to be expected in Gulf States

    Meanwhile, Anthony Fauci, MD, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) appeared yesterday on ABC's "This Week" and warned that Gulf Coast states, including Texas and Louisiana, should be prepared for Zika, according to the Associated Press (AP).
    Citing the recent flooding in Louisiana, Fauci said standing water could be a breeding ground for the Aedes mosquitoes that carry the virus. He also said the United States should be prepared to battle Zika for at 1 to 2 more years, comparing Zika to dengue outbreaks.
    Fauci also said effective mosquito control techniques were the key to beating back Aedes.
    Funds to develop rapid test

    In other Zika news, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) said it has awarded DiaSorin Group, an Italian company with American offices in Minnesota, $2.6 billion to develop a rapid serologic diagnostic test for Zika. The test will look for antibodies to the mosquito-borne virus.
    The DiaSorin Group uses Liaison XL, its automated system that can test up to 120 samples at a time and give results in an hour.
    Zika virus can be detected via a blood test, but most people fail to get tested because 80% of those infected will have few if any symptoms. This means current blood-based tests miss most cases. Zika antibodies can be detected in serum between 2 weeks and 3 months post-infection, offering a wider testing window.
    "Identifying Zika cases more quickly helps people take steps to avoid additional transmission that much sooner, which helps protect pregnant women and others at risk of Zika infection," said Richard Hatchett, MD, acting director for HHS's Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA), in an HHS press release.
    See also:
    Aug 22 Gov. Rick Scott statement
    Aug 21 AP story
    Aug 22 HHS press release



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