Story highlights White House identified $510 million of unused Ebola money

Congress has not yet responded to a February request from the White House for $1.9 billion in emergency funds for Zika

(CNN) In an effort to take immediate action against the Zika virus, the White House said it will redirect $589 million of existing funds, including $510 million which had been designated to fight Ebola.

The funding is needed for detection, prevention and response efforts, Health and Human Services Secretary Sylvia Burwell said Wednesday.

There are about 40 million people traveling between the continental United States and areas where the virus is circulating, according to Burwell.

The primary goal, she said, is to protect pregnant women and those who may become pregnant, because the virus is linked to a neurological birth defect and other fetal abnormalities. Experts agree that there are many unknowns when it comes to the virus and more is being learned every day.

In February, the administration asked Congress for $1.9 billion in emergency supplemental funding to fight the Zika virus. Congress has yet to act on that request. "Nearly two months have passed, and the situation continues to grow more critical," said Shaun Donovan, director of the White House Office of Management and Budget.

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