(Missourinet) – The U.S. Senate has passed Missouri Senator Roy Blunt’s amendment that would provide 1.1 billion dollars in emergency funding to help fight the Zika virus.

“There is no vaccine, there is no simply diagnostic test, there is no way to treat the virus once you get infected so communities really don’t have very many options,” Blunt said.

The virus can be transmitted sexually and by infected mosquitoes. Some mothers who had Zika while pregnant have also given birth to babies with serious brain birth defects.

The House and Senate are expected to work on a compromise after President Obama promised to veto a 622-million dollar Zika related bill passed in the House.