In case you have been living under a rock for the better part of you life, those pesky little flying mosquitoes that like to suck our blood can also carry deadly diseases like the dreaded West Nile virus and the Zika virus.
While Zika has not broken out in the U.S. as it has in Latin America, Puerto Rico has seen a fair share of transmissions from insect to human.The commonwealth of Puerto Rico is a territory of the U.S. and its residents are natural born citizens of the U.S.
Here is what the Center for Disease Control (CDC) has posted about the Zika virus:
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Sexual transmission of Zika virus from a male partner is also possible, so travelers are also encouraged to use condoms or not have sex.
Many people infected with Zika virus do not get sick. Among those who do develop symptoms, sickness is usually mild, with symptoms that last for several days to a week. Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS), a rare disorder that can cause muscle weakness and paralysis for a few weeks to several months, is very likely triggered by Zika in a small proportion of infections, much as it is after a variety of other infections. Most people fully recover from GBS, but some have permanent damage.
What is worse, pregnant women infected with the virus pass it on to their unborn baby, which could develop birth defects.Senator Marco Rubio and others are calling on the federal government to increase funding to help combat the virus here in the U.S.
“When I hear people say there hasn’t been any cases of Zika transmitted in the United States, they’re wrong. The people of Puerto Rico are American citizens. They travel to this country extensively. It is our responsibility to also fight and care for them in this process.
…“It is just a matter of time before someone contracts Zika through a mosquito bite here in the United States and we have not prepared for it. Localities and states are doing the best they can with their limited resources, but they do not have the comprehensive resources that the federal government can bring to bear. They don’t have the resources for research that the federal government can bring to bear. They don’t have the ability to deal with it at the ports of entry the way the federal government can.
“And so these are important priorities that I hope we will move on. Now, in the last few hours, I’ve heard encouraging reports that there are a number of efforts going on behind the scenes here in the Senate, at least one of them in a bipartisan way to begin to address this issue. And over the next few hours we’ll meet with different stakeholders and others who are engaged in this issue to see if we can come up with a way forward.
“But here’s what I hope we won’t do. I hope that we will not politicize this. Zika is not a Republican issue or Democrat issue. It shouldn’t be a campaign issue, although I promise you it will become one if we have a Zika outbreak in the United States and we’re back home doing our constituent work, not here voting. And people are going to want to know, ‘Why did you do nothing on this issue? You knew it was coming. It was clearly broadcast and predicted. All the indicators were there and nothing happened.”-Senator Marco Rubio
Florida homebuilder Carlos Beruff, who is running for the U.S. Senate seat Rubio is vacating, also chimed in the Zika virus, echoing what Senator Rubio stated:
“Everyone knows that the federal government wastes and spends far too much money, often times doing things they have no business being involved in. But protecting our citizens is the primary role of the federal government. Preventing and treating Zika is vital to all Americans, and especially Floridians, who are always on the front lines of any potential virus outbreak.
“Instead of taking action now to deal with the threat at hand, the Washington establishment is dragging its feet. This issue is a perfect example of why we need new blood in Washington.
“Congress must listen to Governor Scott and Senator Rubio and act immediately to ensure that Florida has the resources it needs to prevent and treat this disease.”