A team of researchers from UW-Madison, working alongside scientists from the Universidad de Sucre in Colombia, published a study Tuesday detailing the spread of Zika virus in Colombia.
The Zika virus is transmitted to humans by Aedes aegypti, a specific type of mosquito. Though the virus is rarely fatal and affects only one in five infected patients, the virus can still cause fever, rash and joint pain, according to a university release.
In Colombia, the virus was first discovered in October 2015. Since then, the virus has spread from only nine patients to more than 13,000 people.
Though the Zika virus is spreading, most of the United States does not need to begin taking precautions.
“We’re not going to get Zika transmission in Wisconsin. We don’t have Aedes aegypti,” said Matthew Aliota, a research scientist from the UW-Madison School of Veterinary Medicine, in the release. “The cold winters are good for something.”
