Gov. Scott takes Zika response to the press

[spuwho]

Per Reuters:

http://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-zika-florida-idUSKCN10I0Y7

Florida governor criticizes Washington for lagging in Zika fight



Florida Republican Governor Rick Scott on Sunday accused the federal government of lagging in providing assistance to combat the spread of the Zika virus in a Miami-area neighborhood, the site of the first U.S. transmission of the virus.

Scott was speaking on NBC's "Meet the Press" about the neighborhood of Wynwood, where crews began aerial spraying on Thursday to kill virus-carrying mosquitoes. Zika can cause microcephaly, a rare but devastating birth defect.

The governor said state health authorities had identified 16 cases of Zika that were spread by local mosquitoes and criticized the federal government for failing to get more involved in battling the virus.

Scott said he asked U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Director Thomas Frieden earlier this week for 10,000 additional Zika preparedness kits.

"We still need the federal government to show up. The President and Congress have to work together. This is a national, international issue. It's not just a Florida issue," Scott said.

A representative for the CDC could not be immediately reached on Sunday.

President Barack Obama, a Democrat, earlier this week called on Congress to approve more funds to fight Zika's spread in the United States, saying that money to fight the outbreak is rapidly running out.

Scott's comments come a day after Republican Senator Marco Rubio of Florida stirred controversy by telling political news outlet Politico that pregnant women infected with Zika should not be able to get an abortion, even when there was evidence the baby might be born with severe microcephaly.

"I understand a lot of people disagree with my view – but I believe that all human life is worthy of protection of our laws," Rubio, a former candidate for his party's presidential nomination, told Politico. "But if I'm going to err, I'm going to err on the side of life."

U.S. health regulators said on Friday that they had cleared the way for a trial of genetically modified mosquitoes in Florida that can reduce mosquito populations, potentially offering a new tool to fight the local spread of Zika and other viruses.

U.S. health officials have concluded that Zika infections in pregnant women can cause microcephaly, a birth defect marked by small head size that can lead to severe developmental problems in babies. The World Health Organization has said there is strong scientific consensus that Zika can also cause Guillain-Barre, a rare neurological syndrome that causes temporary paralysis in adults.

The connection between Zika and microcephaly first came to light last fall in Brazil, which has now confirmed more than 1,600 cases of microcephaly that it considers to be related to Zika infections in the mothers.

[Jumpinjack]

And this is the same Governor Scott that in 2011 cut funding for the state mosquito research lab fulfilling one of his goals to cut government expenses.

[mbwright]

Yup, more of the we can take care of ourselves, without Federal oversight and help, but as soon something happens, first to blame the Feds, and not his bad policy. 
Where are HIS plans to fix the pollution, algae, low water levels causing salt intrusion, springs that are drying up or polluted.  The list goes on.  Florida has a huge number of issues, without concrete plans to fix, or money going towards it, nor admitting failure. 

West Nile is also an issue that is being ignored, along with lyme disease (carried by ticks), that also has no cure. 

[spuwho]

The State of Florida cant enforce travel restrictions, this is how avian flu exited central China and went global.

Under Federal law only the CDC can impose certain restrictions when a possible public health issue is in force.

However, on the surface Gov. Scott appears to be getting some political pushback. His refusal of Obamacare on one side and endorsing Trump on the other gives him little leverage in Congressional circles.

While public health shouldnt be a political issue, it should be known just how much of this issue falls in the responsibility of the State and how much is Fed.

[finehoe]

Republican Senator Marco Rubio of Florida stirred controversy by telling political news outlet Politico that pregnant women infected with Zika should not be able to get an abortion, even when there was evidence the baby might be born with severe microcephaly.

Microcephaly has been linked with the following problems:

    Seizures
    Developmental delay, such as problems with speech or other developmental milestones (like sitting, standing, and walking)
    Intellectual disability (decreased ability to learn and function in daily life)
    Problems with movement and balance
    Feeding problems, such as difficulty swallowing
    Hearing loss
    Vision problems

These problems can range from mild to severe and are often lifelong.

So then who is supposed to pay for these lifelong problems?  The parents who didn't want to have the baby or the state which forced them to do it?

Rubio gets stupider by the day.  Please vote this moron out of office come November.

[BridgeTroll]

http://www.popsci.com/fda-okays-oxitec-proposal-for-gmo-mosquito-release-in-florida

FDA APPROVES GENETICALLY MODIFIED MOSQUITOES FOR RELEASE IN FLORIDA
THE METHOD WOULD TARGET THE AEDES AEGYPTI MOSQUITOES THAT TRANSMIT ZIKA AND OTHER DISEASES
By Claire Maldarelli  August 5, 2016

Today, the U.S. Food And Drug Administration (FDA) gave its support for a biotech company to release genetically modified mosquitoes into the Florida Keys in an effort to stop the spread of diseases, including Zika.

The "green light" comes after months long debates, including comments from the general public.
Biotech company Oxitec submitted a draft of its plan in March to release thousands of genetically modified male Aedes Aegypti mosquitoes into the area. This is the species of mosquito that carries and transmits Zika, dengue, and other nasty diseases. But Oxitec's version of these mosquitoes come with a genetic twist: a gene that wipes out any offspring they produce with wild female mosquitoes before the baby mosquitoes reach reproductive age.

The hope is that this will curb the local mosquito population, reducing the risk of diseases spreading.
After reviewing the draft, the FDA has called the proposal to have a "Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI)." However, this doesn't mean Oxitec is free to release the mosquitoes whenever. Oxitec now needs to gain additional approval from the Florida Keys Mosquito Control District, who will vote on the proposal this fall.

That said, the FDA approval is a major step forward for the use of this type of GMO mosquito in general. That's especially true given the recent news of a (so-far) small outbreak of Zika in the Miami area, which health officials say was transmitted by local mosquitoes.

Some are against of course...

https://www.change.org/p/say-no-to-genetically-modified-mosquitoes-release-in-the-florida-keys

Say No to Genetically Modified Mosquitoes Release in the Florida Keys
Mila de Mier Key West, FL

Right now, a British company named Oxitec is planning to release genetically modified mosquitoes into the fragile enviroment of the Florida Keys. The company wants to use the Florida Keys as a testing ground for these mutant bugs. Even though the local community in the Florida Keys has spoken -- we even passed an ordinance demanding more testing -- Oxitec is trying to use a loophole by applying to the FDA for an "animal bug" patent. This could mean these mutant mosquitoes could be released at any point against the wishes of locals and the scientific community. We need to make sure the FDA does not approve Oxitec's patent. Nearly all experiments with genetically-modified crops have eventually resulted in unintended consequences: superweeds more resistant to herbicides, mutated and resistant insects also collateral damage to ecosystems. A recent news story reported that the monarch butterfly population is down by half in areas where Roundup Ready GM crops are doused with ultra-high levels of herbicides that wipe out the monarch's favorite milkweed plant. What about our native species of Florida Keys Bats. Are there any studies being conducted to see if these mosquitoes will harm the native bat population? Why would we not expect GM (genetically modified) insects, especially those that bite humans, to have similar unintended negative consequences? Will the more virulent Asian tiger mosquito that also carries dengue fill the void left by reductions in A. aegypti? Will the dengue virus mutate (think antibiotic resistant MRSA) and become even more dangerous? There are more questions than answers and we need more testing to be done. Will the public be able to stop this program from happening if we don't want it? We were told that "public opinion would be taken into account." Dengue fever has been absent from the Florida Keys for years, which indicates the current methods of control and public education are working. What's the rush for this radical approach? Where is the third-party, peer-reviewed research on effectiveness and safety of GM mosquitoes other than Oxitec's own claims of success? Don't let Oxitec bully our community! We say no to genetically modified mosquitoes in the Florida Keys!