HOLLAND, MI (WHTC) – Several media outlets have confirmed there are 30 confirmed cases of the Zika virus in West Michigan with 9 confirmed in Ottawa County.
Both men and women in Ottawa county have tested positive according to the Ottawa County Health Department with the cases travel related.
There are no pregnant women among the nine infected and officials says those who have contracted the virus have traveled to places like Mexico and Central America. Zika virus is spread by Aedes aegypti mosquitoes.
The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services says 11 cases are in Kent county, 1 in Allegan and 4 in Kalamazoo County.
St. Joseph Congressman Fred Upton told WHTC News that in August he had a bipartisan conference call with the members of his committee, Tom Friedan, Director of the Center for Disease Control and long term career scientists. “It’s pretty clear that the money for the Zika research will dry out before the end of next month. Congress needs to step up and continue the funding. The administration did find the funds with Ebola and in some other pots that they could transfer without authorization from Congress, but now we’ve got to find the funds.”
Upton said he predicts they will find the funds so that a vaccine can be developed. “We know it’s going to take some time. Probably not until 2018 when we can develop a vaccine, but that funding needs to be in place. The end of the fiscal year is coming at the end of September and I predict that we’ll have the fund necessary to wage the battle on Zika as we should.”
Health officials say Zika can cause serious birth defects and that the virus can still be spread through sexual transmission for up to six months.
