[Congressional Record Volume 162, Number 41 (Tuesday, March 15, 2016)]
[House]
[Pages H1351-H1352]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                               ZIKA VIRUS

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from 
California (Mr. Ruiz) for 5 minutes.
  Mr. RUIZ. Mr. Speaker, I rise to address a serious public health 
issue facing our country.
  As a physician, I am very concerned over the recent spread of the 
Zika virus in the Americas, particularly given the potential long-term 
effects that are now being linked to the virus.
  Zika was first discovered in 1948 in Uganda. Until recently, little 
research or attention was paid to the virus. It was not thought to have 
any lasting effects until recently. Because of this, there is no 
vaccine, no drug treatment, and testing is not readily available.
  It is important to note that four out of five individuals who 
contract Zika are unaware that they have it because they do not ever 
show any symptoms. For those that do, symptoms are generally mild.
  However, as the virus continues to spread, researchers are 
identifying a link between Zika and infants being born with congenital 
microcephaly as well as a link between Zika and Guillain-Barre 
syndrome.
  There are still many questions, and scientists are searching for 
answers. For example, can Zika be transmitted sexually? If so, for how 
long is it transmittable? What are the long-term health and economic 
effects of this infection?
  While at this time there have been no reported cases of mosquito 
transmission within the U.S., there have been over 150 travel-related 
cases reported. Most recently a Zika case was found in Orange County, 
not too far from my district.

                              {time}  1030

  The CDC is currently advising pregnant women to postpone travel to 
Zika-affected areas, and if they must travel, to first consult with 
their physician and take all necessary precautions to avoid mosquitos.
  Last month, the administration submitted a supplemental 
appropriations request for emergency funding to help fight the Zika 
virus. And my physician-scientist colleagues at the CDC and NIH have 
echoed the need for funding.
  As we enter mosquito season and families start to travel for summer 
vacation, it is important that we do not

[[Page H1352]]

delay this funding and work to ensure that we contain the damage the 
virus could cause if left unchecked. Timing is of the essence and 
emergency funding needs to be appropriated immediately to mitigate any 
potentially destructive effects.
  This is why I sent a bipartisan letter, along with 61 of my 
colleagues, urging Speaker Ryan to bring to the floor legislation that 
would appropriate emergency funding to help fight the Zika virus.
  This is not a Democratic issue. This is not a Republican issue. It is 
a public health and health security issue. The cost of not acting is 
just too high.

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