WASHINGTON - Top House Republicans say the fastest way for President Barack Obama to obtain money to combat the spread of the Zika virus is to tap leftover funding from the 2014 battle against Ebola.

House Appropriations Committee Chairman Hal Rogers and other senior panel members told White House budget chief Shaun Donovan that unspent anti-Ebola money could cover the $1.8 billion Obama seeks to fight Zika. The administration has already said it wants to retain Ebola funds to "finish the job."

The Zika virus is feared to cause severe birth defects and is spreading through Brazil and other countries in the Americas. There has been no transmission of the virus by mosquitoes within the U.S., but travelers have returned with the infection.