Hepatitis C and Zika Virus

Hepatitis C and Zika virus have something in common: both belong to the virus family Flaviviridae. (Zika belongs to the genus Flavivirus; hepatitis C belongs to the genus hepacivirus). Yellow fever virus is also a member of the Flaviviridae family and yellow is the link here. Flavus means yellow in Latin, and Yellow fever was named because of its tendency to cause jaundice in people. New hepatitis C antiviral drugs may unlock the door to treatment for Zika. But I want to talk about something green -- money. Recently, President Obama requested 1.9 billion dollars to fight Zika virus. The US House approved 622 million dollars; the Senate approved 1.1 billion dollars. Compare this to funding for viral hepatitis (hep B and C). In fiscal year (FY) 2015, the CDC's Division of Viral Hepatitis received 31.3 million dollars from Congress. That number was increased to 34 million dollars in FY2016. This year, the President requested 39 million dollars for FY2017. Hepatitis C advocates lobbied for 62.8 million dollars. However, this falls short of 170.3 million dollars that would cover the bare needs. Granted, the two viruses aren't the same, so let's look at the numbers, keeping in mind that numbers are people with the tears wiped away. Zika On May 18, 2016 the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), reported the following about Zika in the US: • 544 travel-associated cases reported • 0 locally acquired vector-borne cases reported • 10 sexually transmitted reports...
Source: Healthy Living - The Huffington Post - Category: Consumer Health News Source Type: news