AMA Urges Immediate Public-health Response to Zika Virus

CHICAGO — Dr. Andrew Gurman, president of the American Medical Assoc. (AMA), said last week’s news that cases of mosquito-transmitted Zika virus still exist in the U.S. should be a wake-up call to Congress and the Obama administration that they must resolve their differences and immediately make resources available to combat the growing threat of the virus.

“Congress and the administration must act as quickly as possible to ensure that our country is able to deploy the kind of public-health response necessary to keep our citizens safe and healthy,” he noted.

For months, the AMA has vigorously called on Congress to ensure a robust response to the Zika virus. The AMA sent letters to Congress in May and adopted new policy in June asking for immediate action to make available the necessary resources to prepare the country to address the looming threat of Zika.

The AMA has compiled numerous Zika virus-related items in its online Zika Virus Resource Center, including the most up-to-date information from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and other trusted health organizations, to help physicians prepare to handle possible cases of the virus and answer patients’ questions. The AMA will continue to support healthcare professionals in combating and preventing complications from the Zika virus.