Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Conspiracy Theories, Myths And Rumors: How Misinformation Can Sabotage Fight Against Zika
The Zika virus is not being spread by genetically engineered mosquitoes, nor is it transmitted through vaccines. It also is not part of a plan by pharmaceutical companies to boost sales of a future vaccine. The rumors, conspiracy theories and myths about the virus being shared on social media and by word of mouth are seemingly as contagious as the disease. (Cohn, 5/31)
A baby has been born in New Jersey with birth defects believed to be caused by the Zika virus, news outlets in the state reported Tuesday. If confirmed, it would be the first such case in the continental United States. (Branswell, 5/31)
The 31-year-old woman is from Honduras, according to a source briefed on the case. The mother learned of the baby's diagnosis recently, while she was still pregnant, according to the source. (Julia Jacobo, 5/31)
Doctors believe she was infected during the second trimester of her pregnancy. She experienced a fever and rash, both symptoms of the mosquito-borne disease, which is known to cause the devastating birth defect microcephaly and other neurological disorders. (Goldschmidt, 6/1)
And in other news about the virus聽鈥
Mosquito season starts in earnest this week in the 2,000 square miles of Florida鈥檚 Miami-Dade County, which has had the most Zika cases in the U.S. To stop the insects and the epidemic they threaten, Chalmers Vasquez has just 12 full-time inspectors. Five months ago, President Barack Obama asked Congress to allocate $1.9 billion to fight the virus, but lawmakers haven鈥檛 acted. (Newkirk, 6/1)
The U.N. health agency says sexual transmission of Zika is more common than first thought. It is updating its advice to women who have been in areas hit by the virus, telling them to wait even longer to conceive. The World Health Organization said Tuesday that couples or women planning pregnancy who live in or are returning from Zika-hit areas 鈥渁re strongly recommended to wait at least eight weeks before trying to conceive鈥 to ensure the virus has cleared their bodies. Previously, WHO recommended a four-week minimum period before trying to conceive in such circumstances. (5/31)
Meanwhile, there are no signs that Republicans lawmakers want to repay the money that was taken from Ebola crisis to use to fight Zika聽鈥
Lawmakers are getting closer to steering additional money toward the effort to cope with the Zika virus. What they do not appear ready to do is plug a gaping hole in funding for what was until recently another global health crisis, Ebola. (Scott, 6/1)
