Zika virus: Policy implications and practical considerations (Brookings)

The ongoing issues related to the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of the Zika virus are still emerging, however the policy implications have certainly taken shape. The President’s recent budget includes an $1.8 billion request from Congress to respond to the Zika virus, which is a mosquito-borne illness discovered in Uganda in 1947 but has since spread across Asia and to the Americas. Recent outbreaks of Zika in pregnant women have been found to be linked to very serious health conditions such as microcephaly (a birth defect resulting in tiny heads) and Guillain-Barre Syndrome (an immune-mediated neurologic condition). The virus has been declared a pandemic which according to the World Health Organization refers to theworldwide spread of a disease. There is no vaccine and no treatment for Zika; only an antibody test to find out if you have it, which is far from perfect.

http://www.brookings.edu/blogs/health360/posts/2016/02/16-zika-virus-policy-practical-considerations-patel