CDC Reports Nearly 300 Pregnant Women In U.S. Infected With Zika

Due to a new method in reporting the cases, the known number of pregnant woman who have been affected has nearly tripled. Meanwhile, calls for proper funding to battle the outbreak have increased in urgency, as states try to get control of the virus without the money to do it.

Reuters: U.S. Reports 279 Zika Cases In Pregnant Women, Obama Pushes Congress On Funds

Health officials said 279 pregnant women in the United States and U.S. territories have tested positive for Zika infection, prompting a new call from President Barack Obama for more funding to fight the outbreak spreading through the Americas. Obama wants the U.S. Congress to provide close to $1.9 billion for vaccine development, faster diagnostic tests, and new tools for killing the mosquitoes that carry the virus, which can cause a rare birth defect in newborns and neurological disorders in adults. (Pierson, Berkrot and Rampton, 5/20)

Politico: CDC: Nearly 300 Zika Cases In Pregnant Women In U.S. And Territories

All of the U.S. infections occurred in women who had traveled abroad or, in rare cases, contracted the virus by infected sexual partners who returned from areas where the Zika is prevalent. In Puerto Rico, the virus is being transmitted by mosquitoes. The CDC is tracking the outcomes of these pregnancies, but reported no data today. At least one infected woman in Puerto Rico miscarried and another in Washington, D.C., had an abortion after imaging revealed the fetus had a misshapen head and brain. (Allen, 5/20)

The Associated Press: Pregnant Women In US With Zika Spikes To 157 On New Counting Method

The number of pregnant women in the United States infected with Zika virus is suddenly tripling, due to a change in how the government is reporting cases. Previously, officials had reported how many pregnant women had both Zika symptoms and positive blood tests. In a change announced Friday, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's count will include all women who tested positive, regardless of symptoms. (Stobbe, 5/20)

PBS Newshour: How Many U.S. Pregnancies Affected By Zika? Almost 300, CDC Says

The Centers of Disease Control and Prevention has tracked close to 300 pregnant women with Zika virus in the U.S. and its territories. These figures come as part of the health agency’s decision to release a weekly update on the numbers of pregnant women dealing with the mosquito-borne disease. “As of today, national reporting of the number of U.S. pregnant women affected by Zika virus will change,” said Dr. Denise Jamieson, co-leader of the CDC’s pregnancy and birth defects team for the Zika response. These cases will be compiled in a new Zika pregnancy registry that will be updated every Thursday. (Akpan, 5/20)

The Hill: Pressure Builds On Zika Funding

Republicans are facing growing pressure from the White House and congressional Democrats to get a bill funding the United States's Zika virus relief efforts to President Obama's desk. Obama said Friday that Congress should not leave for recess without getting him a bill. (Sullivan, 5/23)

Politico: How A Deadly Tropical Virus Became Another Washington Mess

Even pregnant women have become fodder for partisan Washington funding fights. With nearly 300 pregnant women in the United States already infected with the Zika virus and the summer mosquito season looming after a soggy spring, Congress has yet to approve the Obama administration’s 3-month-old, $1.9 billion request for emergency funding. The bipartisan response to previous public health crises, such as the 2014 Ebola outbreak and the H1N1 flu pandemic in 2009, is not evident in the months-long congressional debates about Zika, despite its huge human costs. The virus in pregnant women has been closely linked to severe brain abnormalities in fetuses. (Haberkorn, 5/20)

The Associated Press: Trying To Get Jump On Zika Preparations With Money In Limbo

Beg, borrow and steal: Zika preparation involves a bit of all three as federal, state and local health officials try to get a jump on the mosquito-borne virus while Congress haggles over how much money they really need. With that financing in limbo, health officials are shifting resources and setting priorities — and not just in states where mosquitoes are starting to buzz. All but six states so far have seen travel-associated cases of Zika. (Neergaard, 5/23)

Reuters: U.S. States On Zika's Frontline See Big Gaps In Funding, Expertise

Because they are funded by local taxpayer dollars, U.S. mosquito control programs reflect deep economic disparities between communities, leaving some at-risk locations badly unprepared for the virus that is spreading through the Americas. (Steenhuysen, 5/23)

New Hampshire Union Leader: No Uptick In Mosquito Spraying In NH Despite Zika Threat

Fear of the Zika virus has prompted increased interest in professional mosquito control among private property owners in New Hampshire, but not among cities and towns. As of Wednesday, 37 municipalities applied for and received spraying permits for 2016, compared to 39 municipalities last year, according to David Rousseau, director of the Pesticide Control Division at the state Department of Agriculture. (Solomon, 5/21)

In other Zika news —

The Baltimore Sun: Mothers And Mothers-To-Be Assess The Risk From Zika, Take Precautions

After marrying six months ago in Aruba, Laura and Rob Cancelliere planned to return for their first anniversary, but the Severna Park couple canceled the trip and even put thoughts of a baby on hold after learning about the emerging threat of the Zika virus. (Cohn, 5/22)

NPR: Today's Tools For Combating Zika Mosquitoes Hark Back To 1945

"It's up to you," said a 1945 public service announced aimed at Americans. Find "one of man's worst enemies" and "destroy their foxholes." The video came from the Office of Malaria Control in War Areas (now known as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention). And it was talking about a particular species of mosquito, Aedes aegypti — the very same mosquito in the news now. Back then, public health officials were mostly worried about dengue and yellow fevers. (Bichell, 5/21)

Meanwhile, the Ebola czar warns about taking money from one outbreak to fight another —

The Hill: Fauci: 'We Can't Take Our Eye Off The Ball With Ebola'

The head of infectious disease research at the National Institutes of Health said on Sunday the U.S. still needs to focus on the battle against the Ebola virus, criticizing those who have said the money left over from the fight against Ebola could be put toward the Zika virus. "We can't take our eye off the ball with Ebola," Dr. Anthony Fauci said on ABC's "This Week." (Savransky, 5/22)

This is part of the KHN Morning Briefing, a summary of health policy coverage from major news organizations. Sign up for an email subscription