DORAL, FLA. (WSVN) - Senator Marco Rubio and Congressman Carlos Curbelo urged Congress, Friday, to vote on Zika-prevention funding.
“Mosquitoes bite Republicans, and I know they bite Democrats and Independents and Libertarians and vegetarians, Americans and everybody else,” said Rubio. “I don’t know why it hasn’t been treated like the kind emergency that it is.”
Puerto Rican officials met in Miami, Friday, discussing tourism concerns. They said that Puerto Rico is safe, and the threat of the virus was a miscommunication.
The mosquito-borne illness is especially dangerous for pregnant women and has been linked to serious birth defects. While Brazil is currently experiencing the largest outbreak, Zika has spread to at least 20 other Latin American countries.
Zika’s symptoms include rash, fever, joint pain and red eyes. It currently lasts seven to 10 days.
There is a 24-hour Zika hotline in Florida to answer questions and concerns. That number is 855-622-6735.
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