Florida and Singapore today reported more locally acquired Zika cases, while federal and global health officials detailed shortages in response funding.
Florida local cases grow by 4
The Florida Department of Health (Florida Health) late yesterday reported three more locally acquired Zika cases and added one more today, raising the state's total to 47.
One of yesterday's patients is associated with an already-identified Miami Beach active transmission area, and health officials are investigating where the two others were exposed.
The patient confirmed today experienced symptoms during the same timeframe as the first case in Palm Beach County reported last week, Florida Health said. "The department has found no evidence of active transmission in the area," the agency added.
Also, the state's number of travel-related Zika cases continued its steep climb, with 16 more reported, bringing that total to 558. Officials said three more infections in pregnant women were reported, pushing that number to 78.
In a weather development that could complicate Florida's battle against mosquitos, Gov Rick Scott today declared a state of emergency to prepare for a tropical depression. Hurricane watches have been issued for Florida's Gulf Coast.
More Zika in Singapore
Singapore today reported 24 new Zika infections, 22 of them part of a neighborhood cluster, as well as the first known infection in a pregnant woman.
According to a health ministry statement, health officials are investigating another possible Zika cluster in a new area, Bedok North Avenue 3, and said there is a possible cluster involving three cases in a previously identified area.
The health ministry doesn't keep a running case total on its Web page, but according to earlier reports, Singapore has now confirmed 115 cases.
US and WHO funding crises
The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) signaled yesterday that it has nearly depleted the $222 million it was allocated to fight the virus, Director Tom Frieden, MD, MPH, told reporters yesterday at a media briefing, according to the New York Times.
Frieden warned that as of Aug 26 the CDC had spent $194 million of the money and that if Congress doesn't act soon when it gets back from its summer break the agency will run out of funds needed to battle the virus.
The CDC has targeted $35 million to help Florida, where local transmission is under way in two identified areas in the southern part of the state. However, Frieden said if the virus emerges in another part of the state, the CDC won't be able to send emergency money, according to the Times.
Staff from Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., told the Times that Senate Republicans have scheduled a vote on a $1.1 billion Zika support package for Sep 6 when the lawmakers are back in session.
Meanwhile, the World Health Organization (WHO) said this week that it so far has received a lukewarm response to its global request for $122.1 million to fully implement its Zika response strategy through the end of 2017.
The WHO said that, since February, 12 donors have contributed $14.4 million toward the global Zika response, which it said has been pivotal in mounting a rapid response.
According to a list of donors and amounts, posted Aug 29, the United Kingdom has provided roughly half of the funds so far. Other countries include the United States, Norway, Canada, Australia, Japan, New Zealand, and Spain. Other contributions have come from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and the Inter-American Development Bank.
The WHO said it has targeted $3.8 million from its emergency contingency fund to the Zika battle, money that needs to be reimbursed to jump-start the response to future events.
See also:
Aug 30 Florida Health daily Zika report
Aug 31 Florida Health daily Zika report
Aug 31 Gov Rick Scott statement
Aug 31 Singapore health ministry statement
Aug 30 New York Times story
Aug 29 WHO Zika response funding update
