Florida Universities receive CDC grant to combat Zika
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in Atlanta, Georgia, is providing a $10 million grant, over 5-years, to the University of Florida, University of Miami, Florida International University and University of South Florida to conduct joint research to combat the spread of the Zika Virus and other mosquito borne diseases. The four colleges will conduct the research in a new research center to be named the Southeast Regional Center of Excellence in Vector-Bourne Disease
The lead researcher will be Rhoel Dinglasan at the University of Florida. Acknowledging the grant, he said Florida is a logical choice for the new research center particularly because most mosquito-borne disease outbreaks in the US begins in the state, with so many local and foreign travelers moving into the state. “Mosquitoes are well-traveled. They don’t need a passport,” Dinglasan said.
Underscoring Dinglasan comments, Florida, and particularly regions of Miami-Dade County experienced locally-spread Zika virus cases last summer. It was only two weeks ago, that Florida governor Rick Scott declared regions of the county including Wynwood, and Miami Beach free of Zika contamination, and lifted restrictions set by state officials.
The outbreak of locally contaminated Zika cases in Miami-Dade resulted in the CDC issuing travel advisories against people, especially pregnant women whose new born babies can have birth defects from Zika contamination, to refrain from traveling to declared Zika zones.
The $10 million grant is included in $184 million provided by the CDC last week to combat the Zika virus nationally.
Matthew DeGennaro, one of the Zika virus researchers at FIU said the grant will enable Florida researchers to evaluate new and untried approaches to mosquito control. He believes the funding and the establishment of the research center will enable the state to respond better to mosquito-borne illnesses.
DeGennaro also noted that the collaborative research between universities is unusual. He said the terms of the CDC grant involving the four universities creates a unique opportunity for the colleges, who has been working independently to combat mosquito borne diseases, to work together in response to the Zika crisis.
It has been reported that the universities plan to use part of the CDC grant to train mosquito control workers and public health and biology students into practical eradication of mosquitoes.
