Today, U.S. Representative Patrick E. Murphy (FL-18) wrote to U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Sylvia Burwell requesting assistance for researchers studying the Zika virus and its mutations for vaccine development with location-based live Zika samples to better study the virus and develop a vaccine.  Local scientists at the Scripps Research Institute in Jupiter, Florida recently met with Murphy to discuss their ongoing Zika research and vaccine development efforts, citing the importance of these samples for their work. (Please find below and attached a copy of the letter).

"With the number of Zika cases in Florida well over 500, we must give researchers the tools needed for a vaccine breakthrough.  I thank the Administration for its continued support of this vital work, answering our call to reallocate funding to keep Zika vaccine efforts moving forward since Congress has failed to do its job at the expense of other critical research areas," Rep. Murphy said.  "In the incomprehensible absence of Congressional action, we must look at all other ways we can support Zika vaccine development.  I have heard from local scientists about the need for more location-based live samples for insights into mutations of the virus, and I look forward to continuing to work with the Administration to provide this and other necessary resources for this fight."

"My laboratory is studying the replication of Zika virus with an ultimate goal of developing antiviral inhibitors of virus infection.  One area of interest in our studies is to determine how the virus is evolving as it moves into new populations and new geographic areas.  The presence of Zika virus in our home state is of particular interest as this represents new transmission of Zika into a native human population and an expansion of the virus range into the continental United States.  We hope to obtain samples of the virus from these native Florida transmissions and compare the sequence of the virus with existing isolates of Zika virus," said Dr. Timothy Tellinghuisen, Associate Professor of Immunology and Microbial Sciences at Scripps Florida.

Last week, Murphy joined members of Florida's Democratic Congressional Delegation in calling on HHS to prioritize NIH funding for the development of a Zika vaccine.  The following day, Secretary Burwell announced HHS would be shifting $81 million from other programs to fight Zika.  Murphy also recently joined with fellow members of Florida's Congressional Delegation in calling for the CDC to allocate more Zika funding to Florida, which is the only state experiencing local transmissions of the virus.  As a cosponsor of H.R. 5044, he has continually called on Congress to pass this bill providing the full $1.9 billion in emergency Zika funding requested by the President in February.  When no action was taken on this critical funding before the summer recess and Florida saw its first locally-transmitted cases, Murphy urged Congress to immediately reconvene and address this growing crisis.  Additionally, he introduced the SMASH Act to provide resources for mosquito control programs and called on Florida Governor Rick Scott to expand Medicaid and release family planning dollars to help combat the spread of Zika.  

August 16, 2016

The Honorable Sylvia Mathews Burwell, Secretary
U.S. Department of Health & Human Services
200 Independence Avenue, S.W.
Washington, D.C. 20201

Dear Secretary Burwell:

As you know, Zika is an ongoing crisis in the State of Florida.  With nearly 500 travel-related cases and 30 non-travel-related infections, government at all levels must be doing all it can to fight this virus.  I recently toured the Scripps Research Institute in my district and met with scientists who are working on a vaccine and therapies.  There, researchers indicated a need for live samples of locally acquired Zika in order to study the virus’ behavior and rapid mutations, in comparison to existing strains of the virus.

It has come to my attention that state and local health departments, in addition to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Biomedical Advanced Research Development Authority, have collected serum from Zika-infected patients in Florida.  How can officials best isolate samples based on geographic location of transmission?  Would providing location-based samples to researchers be beneficial for the fight against the virus?  If so, what steps may be taken to provide the samples to research facilities in the most expedient and secure way?

Thank you for your leadership in our nation’s fight against Zika.  While I will continue to push Congress to fully fund the President’s $1.9 billion request for Zika research and mosquito control efforts, we should be working efficiently and creatively with existing resources, including giving researchers all tools that could lead to a breakthrough.

Sincerely,

Patrick E. Murphy
MEMBER OF CONGRESS

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