Wisconsinites Deserve to Know Why Sen. Johnson Voted Against Zika Funding Print
Elections, Elected Officials, Political Parties
Written by Democratic Party of Wisconsin, Brandon Weathersby   
Saturday, 28 May 2016 10:18

ron-johnsonMADISON - Two weeks ago Sen. Johnson voted against a bipartisan bill to combat the Zika virus. Today Wisconsin confirmed its second case of the disease in as many weeks. Voters deserve to know why Senator Johnson cared more about the opinion of his fellow Washington Republicans than the safety of everyday Wisconsinites.

Case of Zika confirmed in Dane County

MADISON, Wis. - Dane County has its first known case of Zika virus, according to Public Health Madison and Dane County.

A Dane County woman, who is not pregnant, got the infection while traveling in Colombia where Zika infected mosquitoes are present.

The first Zika virus infection in the state was reported last week.

There have been more than 500 cases of the Zika virus in the U.S., according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

All of the reported cases have been contracted abroad in places like the Caribbean and parts of South America. As places south of the U.S. continue the fight against the Zika epidemic, states like New York and Georgia are taking preventative measures, like fogging neighborhoods with pesticides.

But University of Wisconsin-Madison Professor Susan Paskewitz said similar efforts in Wisconsin would be futile, because there are no Zika virus-carrying mosquito breeds in the Badger state.

"We've never seen them here all,” Paskewitz said of the breeds. “All of the people who do any kind of mosquito surveillance work have never seen them here."

She said there is no need for civilians or government bodies in Wisconsin to spray specifically against the Zika virus-carrying insects.