03/28/2012 01:30 PM Senate HEALTH & SOCIAL SERVICES

            SCR 23-CONGENITAL CYTOMEGALOVIRUS MONTH                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
1:35:17 PM                                                                                                                    
CHAIR DAVIS  announced that  the first  bill before the  committee                                                              
would be  SCR 23, which  would designate  June 2012  as Congenital                                                              
Cytomegalovirus Awareness Month.                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR EGAN  stated that SCR 23,  version A, was the  bill before                                                              
the committee.                                                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
AMY SALTZMAN,  staff to  Senator Lisle  McGuire, presented  SCR 23                                                              
on behalf  of the  sponsor. She  read from  the following  sponsor                                                              
statement:                                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
     The issue of Congenital Cytomegalovirus (CMV) was                                                                          
     brought to Senator McGuire by one of her constituents.                                                                     
     CMV is a common and serious congenital infection in                                                                        
     the United States with 1 in every 50 children born                                                                         
     with congenital CMV. Contraction of the disease at                                                                         
     birth can lead to permanent health conditions,                                                                             
     including cerebral palsy, hearing and vision loss,                                                                         
     mental disability, ADHD, autism, and seizures, and in                                                                      
     rare cases, death.                                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
     CMV is most dangerous for unborn babies whose mothers                                                                      
     become infected with the disease during pregnancy and                                                                      
     children or adults whose immune systems have been                                                                          
     weakened by disease or drug treatment. With pregnant                                                                       
     woman as the number one population at risk, the                                                                            
     American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists                                                                        
     and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention                                                                         
     recommend that OB/GYN's counsel women on basic                                                                             
     prevention measures to guard against CMV infection. In                                                                     
     a 2008 study, it showed that only 14 percent of women                                                                      
     in the United States have ever heard of CMV.                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
     CMV is 100 percent preventable with behavioral                                                                             
     interventions, such as frequent hand washing with soap                                                                     
     and water after contact with diapers or oral                                                                               
     secretions, not kissing young children on the mouth,                                                                       
     and not sharing food, towels, or utensils with young                                                                       
     children. CMV is found in bodily fluids, including                                                                         
     urine, saliva, blood, mucus, and tears. The incidence                                                                      
     of children born with congenital CMV can be greatly                                                                        
     reduced with public education and awareness.                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
     In 2011, June was designated as National Congenital CMV                                                                    
     Awareness Month. This concurrent resolution would support                                                                  
     that concept and bring awareness to the horrible effect CMV                                                                
     can have on Alaskan children.                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
1:37:36 PM                                                                                                                    
CHAIR DAVIS opened public testimony.                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
KAREN GILLIS,  speaking on  her own  behalf, testified  in support                                                              
of SCR  23. She  shared a  personal experience  of having  a child                                                              
with CMV. She related  that many parents do not know  about CMV or                                                              
how to avoid  contracting it during pregnancy. CMV  is the leading                                                              
cause  of  birth   defects  in  the  United  States.   She  shared                                                              
statistics about the numbers of children affected by CMV.                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
MS.  GILLIS spoke  of the  expense  of raising  CMV children.  She                                                              
spoke of  her role as  an advocate of  Stop CMV. She  continued to                                                              
share  facts related  to CMV and  suggested solutions,  such  as a                                                              
vaccine. She  concluded that her goal  was to reduce the  cost and                                                              
suffering from CMV and prevent CMV in others.                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
1:48:14 PM                                                                                                                    
SENATOR DYSON thanked  Ms. Gillis for her work. He  asked if there                                                              
was  any way  to  detect  if a  would-be  mother is  carrying  CMV                                                              
before she becomes pregnant.                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
MS. GILLIS replied  that a woman can be tested  for CMV antibodies                                                              
before and  during pregnancy.  She explained  that CMV  is similar                                                              
to chickenpox,  except that  there are four  strains or  levels of                                                              
CMV. If a  person has ever  had CMV, there are  antibodies present                                                              
in their  system. If a  person has contracted  one strain  of CMV,                                                              
there  is still  a  risk of  contracting  the  other strains.  She                                                              
related  that   there  are  in   utero  treatments,  as   well  as                                                              
treatments after  birth, both  of which can  reduce the  amount of                                                              
virus in the baby's system.                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
1:51:11 PM                                                                                                                    
SENATOR  DYSON asked  if a  pre-pregnant  woman is  tested and  is                                                              
found  to have  the  virus, whether  there  is  a treatment  which                                                              
would rid of her of the virus.                                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
MS. GILLIS  replied  that after  a woman builds  up antibodies  to                                                              
the virus,  she will always have  those antibodies in  her system.                                                              
If  she  contracts  the  most common  strain  of  CMV  during  her                                                              
pregnancy,  she  already  has antibodies  to  protect  the  unborn                                                              
child.  She related  that,  in  her case,  she  did  not have  the                                                              
antibodies   because  she   had  not  contracted   CMV  prior   to                                                              
pregnancy.  She   said  she  contracted   CMV  during   her  first                                                              
trimester,  which is  a very  critical time  of brain  development                                                              
for the  child. She shared  that her child  shows a lot  of damage                                                              
as a result.                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR DYSON  restated the question  to ask if a  would-be mother                                                              
identified  with  CMV, with  or  without  the antibodies,  can  be                                                              
cured of the virus.                                                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
MS. GILLIS  replied if  the woman  has active  CMV, and  her tests                                                              
show she  carries antibodies,  her child will  not be  affected by                                                              
the virus; however, the child will be born with CMV.                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR  DYSON  asked  if  a woman's  immunity  can  be  increased                                                              
before or during pregnancy.                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
MS. GILLIS  noted that her organization  does not want  to see all                                                              
women tested for  CMV. She explained that it is  most important to                                                              
understand if there is an active infection.                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR DYSON said  he was surprised at the suggestion  that women                                                              
not  be  tested.  He  asked  for  data  about  how  the  virus  is                                                              
contracted.                                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
MS.  GILLIS  replied  that  the  highest risk  group  for  CMV  is                                                              
pregnant women  who have not  previously contracted the  virus and                                                              
who work  in day  care centers  or have  children  who are in  day                                                              
care.                                                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
1:56:17 PM                                                                                                                    
CHAIR DAVIS closed public testimony.                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR DAVIS moved to adopt Amendment 1.                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
                      A M E N D M E N T 1                                                                                   
                                                                                                                              
                                                27-LS1334\A.2                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
    OFFERED IN THE SENATE                BY SENATOR MCGUIRE                                                                     
     TO:  SCR 23                                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
     Page 1, line 1:                                                                                                            
          Delete "March"                                                                                                        
          Insert "June"                                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
     Page 2, line 8                                                                                                             
          Delete "March"                                                                                                        
          Insert "June"                                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR  DAVIS announced  that without  objection,  Amendment 1  was                                                              
adopted.                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR  DYSON suggested  having  the  Division of  Public  Health                                                              
answer questions  about CMV  and what Alaska  should be  doing for                                                              
prevention  and publishing  that  information.  He also  suggested                                                              
finding out what other states do.                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR DAVIS agreed.                                                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR EGAN  moved to report SCR  23, version A as  amended, with                                                              
individual  recommendations and  no  fiscal note.  There being  no                                                              
objection, CSSCR  23(HSS) was reported from the  Senate Health and                                                              
Social Services Committee.