U.S. Sen. Richard Burr is one of several senators who have introduced a bill they say will give states and municipalities tools to fight the Zika virus.
Democrat Bill Nelson of Florida and Angus King of Maine, an independent, submitted the bill with Burr. The senators say the Strengthening Mosquito Abatement for Safety and Health Act would reauthorize public health tools that help control mosquitoes.
The senators say up to $130 million in grants to support state and local mosquito control work will be authorized every year under the bill.
The federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention say more than 1,700 cases of the mosquito-borne Zika virus have been reported in the country and its territories. Zika is linked to neurological disorders and the birth defect microcephaly.
