Res. No. 1246

Resolution calling on the United States Congress and New York State Legislature to deploy resources for the prevention of Zika in the Caribbean

By Council Members Eugene, Palma, Barron, Richards and Rosenthal   

Whereas, Zika is a virus that can be transmitted through mosquito bites, from a pregnant woman to her fetus, sex, and possibly through blood transfusions; and

Whereas, Many people infected with Zika virus will not display any symptoms or will only have mild symptoms; and

Whereas, The most common symptoms of Zika are fever, rash, joint pain, and conjunctivitis; and

Whereas, Zika infection during pregnancy can cause a birth defect of the brain called microcephaly and other severe fetal brain defects; and

Whereas, Zika has also been linked to defects of the eye, hearing deficits, and impaired growth in fetuses and infants, as well as Guillain-Barré syndrome, an uncommon sickness of the nervous system that can cause paralysis; and

Whereas, Zika virus was first discovered in 1947 and is named after the Zika Forest in Uganda; and

Whereas, In 1952, the first human cases of Zika were detected and since then, outbreaks of Zika have been reported in tropical Africa, Southeast Asia, and the Pacific Islands; and

Whereas, The symptoms of Zika are similar to those of many other diseases and outbreaks could have occurred in many locations without being recognized; and

Whereas, Zika reached Brazil for the first time in May 2015 and quickly spread throughout much of South America, Central America, and the Caribbean; and

Whereas, By August 2016, the World Health Organization declared the Zika virus a global public health emergency and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention had issued travel advisories for much of the Caribbean, South America, Central America, the Pacific Islands and Singapore; and

Whereas, As of September 2, 2016, there were 510 travel-related cases of Zika in New York City, with well over half of those cases linked to the Dominican Republic (278), followed by Puerto Rico (49) and Jamaica (47); and

Whereas, According to the United States (U.S) Department of Commerce International Trade Administration National Travel and Tourism Office, 7.2 million U.S residents traveled from the U.S. to the Caribbean and almost 1.2 million people traveled from the Caribbean to the U.S. in 2013; and

Whereas, While New York City has a robust mosquito control program and has launched a prevention and education campaign in addition to expanding Zika testing, many other municipalities and countries do not have such strong prevention programs; and

Whereas, In May 2016, the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene announced it will donate 1 million condoms to assist with Zika prevention efforts in Puerto Rico, recognizing that New York City is home to the largest population of Puerto Ricans in the continental U.S., and many New Yorkers travel back and forth to the island; and

Whereas, Given the close proximity and high amount of travel, it is incumbent upon the United States and New York State to join New York City in assisting our neighboring islands in the Caribbean in preparation and containment of these and future outbreaks; now, therefore, be it

Resolved, That the Council of the City of New York calls on the United States Congress and New York State Legislature to deploy resources for the prevention of Zika in the Caribbean

CP

LS 8604

9/15/16