CHICAGO — The American Medical Association (AMA) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) issued the following statements today regarding the Zika virus as they hosted a webinar for American's physicians and clinicians on the current status of the outbreak.
"As the Zika virus outbreak continues to evolve and more Americans become impacted by the virus, we must ensure that our nation's physicians, and all clinicians, are prepared to handle possible cases of the virus and are equipped with the most up-to-date information to answer patients' questions. The AMA and CDC will be holding a live webinar tonight to provide physicians and other clinicians with an update on the current status of the outbreak and the latest clinical guidance to help them diagnose and manage patients and prevent further transmission of the Zika virus," said AMA President Andrew W. Gurman, M.D.
The AMA will continue to update its online Zika Virus Resource Center with the latest Zika-related information from the CDC and other trusted healthcare organizations to support health care professionals in combatting and preventing complications from the virus to help keep their patients safe and healthy.
With an increasing number of Zika cases confirmed in the U.S., including this week's news of the death of a newborn baby with Zika-linked microcephaly, the AMA continues to call on policymakers in Washington to immediately make the necessary resources available for our country to combat the growing threat of the virus and protect the American public. For months, the AMA has vigorously urged that sufficient resources be provided to ensure our nation is able to deploy a robust public health response to the Zika virus.
"Clinicians play an important role in the fight against Zika in the United States," said Michael Bell, M.D., CDC Deputy Director of the Division of Healthcare Quality Promotion. "CDC and AMA are working together to ensure that medical staff are properly equipped and trained to help protect Americans' health from Zika."
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About the American Medical Association
The American Medical Association is the physicians’ powerful ally in patient care. As the only medical association that convenes 190+ state and specialty medical societies and other critical stakeholders, the AMA represents physicians with a unified voice to all key players in health care. The AMA leverages its strength by removing the obstacles that interfere with patient care, leading the charge to prevent chronic disease and confront public health crises and, driving the future of medicine to tackle the biggest challenges in health care.
