Clinton dispatches staff to Puerto Rico amid Zika crisis

Senior advisers for Democratic presidential front-runner Hillary Clinton’s campaign are heading to Puerto Rico to study the effects of the rapidly spreading Zika virus.

{mosads}Amanda Renteria and Ann O’Leary, two Clinton campaign veterans, are traveling to the island on a “fact-finding mission” amid an outbreak of more than 400 cases.

“I want to be sure that we are truly doing all we can to fight the Zika virus from spreading,” Clinton wrote in a statement, noting the work that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is already doing. “Zika is an urgent problem and we need to act now,” she said.

This act is a sign that the nation’s response to the Zika virus could become a major campaign issue this summer. The virus has already become politicized in recent weeks, with the White House sparring with Republicans over a $2 billion spending request.  

The mosquito-borne virus, which can cause birth defects in infants, is expected to begin spreading within the continental U.S. in early June. Puerto Rico has already tallied hundreds of cases, including nearly 100 among pregnant women.

The island’s Democratic primary takes place June 5.