washington/london president barack obama ask u.s. congress 1.8 billion emergency fund fight zika home abroad pursue vaccine white house say monday add reason panic mosquito-borne virus zika spread rapidly south central america caribbean link severe birth defect brazil public health officials concern focus pregnant women women may become pregnant obama request congress include 200 million research development commercialization new vaccines diagnostic test virus least 12 group work develop vaccine monday london-based european medicine agency ema europe drug regulator say establish expert task force advise company work zika vaccines medicine mirror similar action two-year-long ebola epidemic start december 2013 pandemic flu outbreak 2009. vaccines treatment zika none even undergo clinical study infect people either symptoms develop mild ones like fever skin rashes good news like ebola people die zika lot people get even know obama tell cbs news interview air monday panic something people go die something take seriously money seek obama face pressure republicans fellow democrats act decisively zika would spend unite state test surveillance response affect areas include creation rapid-response team contain outbreak cluster white house brief dr. anne schuchat principal deputy director u.s. center disease control prevention say expect large-scale amount serious zika infections continental unite state warm months bring large active mosquito populations think likely limit local transmission southern state schuchat say obama fund request congress include 335 million u.s. agency international development support mosquito-control maternal health zika-related public health efforts affect countries americas dr. anthony fauci director u.s. national institute allergy infectious diseases tell white house brief vaccine likely would widely available years fauci say anticipate begin so-called phase trial summer zika vaccine would take three months test safe induce good immune response study conduct cdc say zika emergency operations center staff 300 place high level activation reflect need accelerate preparedness possible local virus transmission mosquitoes continental unite state lawmakers urge obama name zika czar head u.s. efforts virus fauci say see need right appointment much remain unknown zika include whether virus actually cause microcephaly condition mark abnormally small head size result developmental problems brazil investigate potential link zika infections 4,000 suspect case microcephaly researchers identify evidence zika infection 17 case either baby mother confirm zika cause microcephaly word zika spread sexual transmission blood transfusions discovery saliva urine infect people add concern virus world health organization declare outbreak international health emergency feb. cite strongly suspect relationship zika infection pregnancy microcephaly brazil grapple virus even prepare host olympic game rio de janeiro august tens thousands athletes tourists anticipate u.s. olympic committee tell u.s. sport federations athletes staff concern health due zika consider go olympics message deliver conference call involve usoc officials leaders u.s. sport federations late january former olympian donald anthony president board chairman usa fence say one things immediately say especially women may pregnant even think get pregnant whether schedule go rio go white house fauci say athletes would need make personal decision whether skip olympics obama seek fund fight zika see cause panic