The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announced today that another $184 million will be allocated to states to fight Zika. The funds come out of the $350 million in federal funding provided to CDC under the Zika Response and Preparedness Appropriations Act of 2016.
"Zika continues to be a threat to pregnant women," said CDC Director Tom Frieden, MD, MPH, in a news release. "States, territories, and communities need this CDC funding to fight Zika and protect the next generation of Americans."
The money will be divided five ways:
The CDC will give $25 million to the 21 jurisdictions most at risk for Zika infections as part of public health emergency preparedness and response efforts.
The Epidemiology and Laboratory Capacity for Infectious Diseases (ELC) Cooperative Agreement will get a $97 million boost to 58 state, territorial, city, and local public health departments. This money will also support the US Zika Pregnancy Registry.
Thirty-eight jurisdictions will receive more than $8 million to aid in microcephaly surveillance activities and track outcomes for babies born to mothers with Zika virus.
The CDC is giving nearly $40 million to universities conducting research on Zika to establish research centers. Nearly $10 million each will go to the University of Florida, the University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston, the University of Wisconsin in Madison, and Cornell University.
Finally, $14 million will be given to Puerto Rico oversee the island's first vector control unit.
New Texas case, other US developments
Today Texas announced another locally acquired case in Cameron County. This is the sixth local case in that county, which is home to Brownsville. Last week, the CDC said all pregnant women who live in or traveled to Brownsville on or after Oct 29 should be monitored for Zika infection.
The Texas Department of State Health Services (TDSHS) said recent cold weather had inhibited mosquito activity, but warmer temperatures are forecasted for next week.
Also, Rhode Island reported its first baby born with Zika virus, the Providence Journal reported yesterday. The baby was born in November and so far shows no signs of congenital malformations. The Rhode Island Department of Health said the baby's mother contracted the virus while traveling earlier this year.
In other Zika news, the Florida Department of Health, Florida Health, confirmed one local case of Zika in Miami-Dade County yesterday. An investigation is under way to determine where the patient was exposed. Officials have now reported 253 locally acquired Zika infections in Florida, and 17 cases where the area of transmission is undetermined.
Florida Health said the state is still clear of any active transmission zones.
As of today the CDC updated its weekly Zika numbers. There are 4,756 cases of Zika in the United States (139 more than last week), and 34,594 in US territories (326 more than last week). Pregnant women account for 1,246 of those cases in the United States and 2,701 cases in the territories. Two more babies were born with Zika-related birth defects, raising that number to 34, and 5 have died from Zika complications.
Inovia reports success with DNA vaccine
Finally today, Inovio announced that its DNA-based Zika vaccine, GLS-5700, generated a strong immune response in human participants in a phase 1 trial. The trial tested 40 healthy Zika-naive subjects with both low-dose and high-dose vaccine versions. The volunteers showed an immune response up to 14 weeks after the trail began.
In a press release, J. Joseph Kim, PhD, Inovio's president & CEO, said, "These early clinical results show that Inovio is on track to rapidly develop Zika countermeasures for this disease that has no currently existing vaccine or treatment."
Currently Inovio is testing GLS-5700 in 160 Puerto Rican subjects. It's estimated that up to 25% of Puerto Rico's population could be infected with Zika virus, and results from the next phase of the trial could shed light on GLS-5700's efficacy during an outbreak.
See also:
Dec 22 CDC news release on funding
Dec 22 TDSHS news release
Dec 21 Providence Journal story
Dec 21 Florida Health update
Dec 22 CDC Zika update
Dec 22 Inovio press statement
