NJ Congressman calls for Zika funding
An Aedes aegypti
A New Jersey Congressman says the Zika crisis is getting worse and more funding is needed to combat it.
Democrat Frank Pallone wants Congress to authorize $1.9 billion to better educate the public about ZIka, help develop a vaccine, and control mosquitoes that spread the virus.
He says the specific type of mosquito that can carry Zika is prevalent in New Jersey.
“It could definitely spread to that mosquito population in New Jersey by someone who comes from another place and gets bit and then the mosquitoes contract it and give it to humans. We haven’t found any cases yet that are carrying it and hopefully we don’t, but it has the ability.”
Pallone hopes Congress will approve the funding as soon as possible.
“In Middlesex County at the Mosquito Extermination Commission they’re spraying now for West Nile and West Nile is one of the programs the Republicans are proposing to cut to pay for Zika. So this is not a good situation where you’re robbing Peter to pay Paul so to speak.”
80 travel-related Zika cases have been confirmed in the Garden State.
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