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The Zika virus stands to cost the United States billions of dollars, even if few people are infected.
Researchers from several American institutions have calculated that the "virus from Hell" could result in total costs ranging from $183 million to over $1.2 billion, depending on infection rates in several at-risk states in the South.
The researchers warn that infection rates could engender costs that exceed the amounts of money the U.S. government may give for prevention and treatment, if the recent debates over funding are any indication.
"We had the sense that Congress was really not aware of the depth and breath of the vulnerability of the Gulf Coast regions," study co-author Dr. Peter Hotez said in an interview with CNBC.
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Researchers from several American institutions have calculated that the "virus from Hell" could result in total costs ranging from $183 million to over $1.2 billion, depending on infection rates in several at-risk states in the South.
The researchers warn that infection rates could engender costs that exceed the amounts of money the U.S. government may give for prevention and treatment, if the recent debates over funding are any indication.
"We had the sense that Congress was really not aware of the depth and breath of the vulnerability of the Gulf Coast regions," study co-author Dr. Peter Hotez said in an interview with CNBC.
...
