Authorities in Florida were increasing their efforts to combat the Zika virus on Wednesday after another local case was reported in Miami, bringing the total to fifteen.<br /><br /> Teams went from from door to door to spray insecticide and ariel spraying is also planned for Thursday.<br /><br /> As well as the local cases, there have been almost 400 reported in Florida where the disease had been picked up abroad.<br /><br /> In addition, the Pentagon says around 40 US military personnel, including a pregnant woman, have contracted the virus while serving abroad.<br /><br /> Funds to fight the Zika are due to run out in the next few weeks because of inaction in Congress.<br /><br /> Republican senator Marco Rubio called for more the be done: “The time for this political gamesmanship has to end. It’s over. We need to fund this as quickly as possible and I hope both parties will put this aside. I hope my colleagues around the country don’t continue to believe that this is not their issue, that this is something that is happening far away – because just as this is happening in Miami-Dade County over this week, I believe it won’t be long before other jurisdictions, other states and other communities in this state and in this country will face the same situation.”<br /><br /> Government researchers announced on Wednesday they had begun their first clinical trial of a Zika vaccine. Other companies and academic groups are also racing to develop a vaccine, but it is not expected to be ready for at least a couple of years.<br />
