Obama Puts Pressure On Lawmakers To Pass Zika Funding
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MIAMI (CBSMiami) -- President Barack Obama urged lawmakers to approve emergency spending to curb the spread of the Zika virus as the number of pregnant women infected has tripled.
"This is not something where we can build a wall to prevent. Mosquitoes don't go through customs," Obama said after a briefing by top health officials.
The president urged lawmakers not to leave for summer recess without approving the $1.9 billion spending plan - saying it would affect Americans at risk- including those in Florida which is considered the front line in the fight against Zika.
"If I'm a young family right now, or somebody who's thinking about starting a family, this is just a piece of insurance that I want to purchase. And I think that's true for most Americans," said President Obama.
Related: Senate Passes Zika Funding Measure As Concerns Grow In Florida
It's a spending plan he says will be used to prevent, detect and treat the spread of the virus which can be contracted through mosquitoes or sexually transmitted.
"All of this work costs money. And we have put forward a package that costs $1.9 billion in emergency funding in order for us to make sure that we are doing effective mosquito control, to make sure that we are developing effective diagnostic tools and distributing them, make sure that we are developing the vaccines that ultimately will prevent some of the tragedies that we've seen for those who have contracted Zika and then end up having children with significant birth defects," said the president.
Related: CDC Says Zika Definitely Causes Severe Birth Defects
The president's plea comes as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) says pregnant women infected with the virus have tripled. The new number has to do with the way the government is counting cases since they are now including women who test positive for Zika regardless of whether they show symptoms.
At last check, 157 women in the U.S. are infected. In Puerto Rico, there are 122 cases involving pregnant women.
As for Florida, 152 cases have been reported with 36 of those cases involving pregnant women.
Meantime, experts say we can all do our part in preventing the spread of Zika starting in our own homes. Click here for tips on how to prevent the spread of Zika.
Click here for more information on the virus.