PRINTER'S NO. 2852
THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA
HOUSE RESOLUTION
No.
694
Session of
2015
INTRODUCED BY FABRIZIO, COHEN, KIRKLAND, HEFFLEY, BAKER, BURNS,
HENNESSEY, BOBACK, BIZZARRO, ROZZI, KINSEY, DiGIROLAMO,
READSHAW, LONGIETTI, THOMAS, DONATUCCI, R. BROWN, O'BRIEN,
CONKLIN, MARSICO, MILLARD, SONNEY, DUSH, WATSON, McNEILL,
WHEELAND, SCHWEYER, ROSS, PHILLIPS-HILL, GOODMAN, MURT,
PAYNE, V. BROWN, MAJOR, TOOHIL, DRISCOLL, WARD, MAHONEY,
D. COSTA, YOUNGBLOOD, KORTZ, SCHLOSSBERG, DAVIS AND MOUL,
FEBRUARY 10, 2016
INTRODUCED AS NONCONTROVERSIAL RESOLUTION UNDER RULE 35,
FEBRUARY 10, 2016
A RESOLUTION
Recognizing the month of February 2016 as "Zika Virus Awareness
Month" in Pennsylvania.
WHEREAS, A relatively new mosquito-borne virus is prompting
worldwide concern because of an alarming connection to a
neurological birth disorder and the rapid spread of the virus
across the globe; and
WHEREAS, The Zika virus, transmitted by the aggressive Aedes
aegypti mosquito, is a flavivirus, which is part of the same
family as yellow fever, West Nile, chikungunya and dengue; and
WHEREAS, Unlike some of those viruses, there is no vaccine to
prevent Zika or medicine to treat the infection; and
WHEREAS, Zika is commanding worldwide attention because of an
alarming connection between the virus and microcephaly, a
neurological disorder that results in babies being born with
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abnormally small heads causing severe developmental issues and
sometimes death; and
WHEREAS, The virus is transmitted and spread when an Aedes
aegypti mosquito with an active infection bites a person who
then becomes a carrier during the time they have symptoms; and
WHEREAS, A rare case of the Zika virus being sexually
transmitted has been reported in the United States; and
WHEREAS, In most people, symptoms of the virus are mild and
include fever, headache, rash and possible pink eye; and
WHEREAS, In fact, 80% of those infected never know they have
the disease, which is especially concerning for pregnant women,
as this virus has now been shown to pass through amniotic fluid
to the fetus; and
WHEREAS, The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that
three million to four million people across the Americas will be
infected with the virus in the next year; and
WHEREAS, According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC),
the virus has now spread to at least 24 countries, including
Barbados, Bolivia, Brazil, Cape Verde, Colombia, the Dominican
Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, French Guiana, Guadeloupe,
Guatemala, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, Martinique, Mexico, Panama,
Paraguay, Puerto Rico, Saint Martin, Suriname, Samoa, the U.S.
Virgin Islands and Venezuela; and
WHEREAS, According to the CDC, 31 people have been diagnosed
with the Zika virus in the United States; and
WHEREAS, All reported cases have occurred in travelers
returning from affected countries during the current outbreak
that began in 2015, with no cases of the virus being transmitted
within the United States; and
WHEREAS, According to pennlive.com, the primary mosquito that
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carries Zika is not found in Pennsylvania; however, the Asian
tiger mosquito, a secondary type of mosquito that can carry the
disease, has been found in this Commonwealth; and
WHEREAS, Due to the rapid spread of this virus and the health
problems it is causing, WHO has declared a public health
emergency of international concern; and
WHEREAS, This declaration is intended to facilitate
international coordination of tracking, research and response to
the virus and its effects; and
WHEREAS, While there is no vaccine or treatment for this
virus, researchers are hard at work in laboratories around the
world trying to create a Zika vaccine, and a clinical trial for
a Zika vaccine could begin this year according to Dr. Anthony
Fauci, Director of the National Institute of Allergy and
Infectious Diseases at the National Institutes of Health; and
WHEREAS, Another prevention treatment effort is OX513A, the
creation of a British company Oxitec, which is a genetically
modified male Aedes aegypti or "mutant mosquito," which is
designed to stop the spread of the Zika virus by passing along a
gene that causes offspring to die; and
WHEREAS, According to the United States Food and Drug
Administration (FDA), the OX513A genetically engineered mosquito
has been approved for use in Brazil, and open field trials of
these mosquitoes have been conducted in Brazil, the Cayman
Islands, Panama and Malaysia; and
WHEREAS, In 2011, field trials were conducted in Brazil as a
way to combat an outbreak of dengue, and according to Oxitec,
the trials were hugely successful, eliminating up to 99% of the
target mosquito population; and
WHEREAS, The FDA is reviewing the draft environmental
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assessment along with other information on the Oxitec mosquito
in consultation with government experts from other agencies,
including the CDC and the Environmental Protection Agency in
order to conduct trials in the United States; and
WHEREAS, According to the CDC, with no treatment or vaccine
available, the only protection against the virus is to avoid
traveling to areas with an active infestation; and
WHEREAS, The CDC has recommended to all those traveling to a
country where Zika is present to strictly adhere to mosquito
protection measures, which include using an EPA-approved
repellent over sunscreen, wearing long pants and long-sleeved
shirts thick enough to block a mosquito bite and sleeping in
air-conditioned or screened rooms; and
WHEREAS, The CDC is also encouraging local homeowners, hotel
owners and visitors in countries with Zika outbreaks to
eliminate any standing water, such as water in outdoor buckets
and flowerpots; therefore be it
RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives recognize
February 2016 as "Zika Virus Awareness Month" and support
global, Federal and State efforts to promote awareness and
prevention of the Zika virus, and the development of treatments,
vaccines and a cure.
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