Mosquito News and Research

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Fresh insight into parasite's reproductive strategy can prevent malaria spread

Fresh insight into the way the parasite that causes malaria reproduces could lead to new treatments to help curb the spread of the disease.

17 Mar 2011

ALMA receives ExxonMobil $250,000 grant to combat malaria

The African Leaders Malaria Alliance, an alliance of 39 African leaders, announced today that it has been awarded a $250,000 grant from the ExxonMobil Foundation to help with its campaign to combat malaria.

16 Mar 2011

ITMNs can reduce Japanese Encephalitis transmission to humans

A new study revealed that using treated mosquito nets could drastically reduce the transmission of Japanese Encephalitis to humans.

9 Mar 2011

NIH-funded study finds way to reduce transmission of malaria to humans

Spraying malaria-transmitting mosquitoes with a genetically modified fungus can kill the malaria parasite without harming the mosquito, potentially reducing malaria transmission to humans, according to a new study published in the journal Science. Funded by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), part of the National Institutes of Health, the study was led by Raymond J. St. Leger, Ph.D., of the University of Maryland, College Park.

25 Feb 2011

Transgenic fungal approach can fight against malaria and bug-borne diseases

New findings by a University of Maryland-led team of scientists indicate that a genetically engineered fungus carrying genes for a human anti-malarial antibody or a scorpion anti-malarial toxin could be a highly effective, specific and environmentally friendly tool for combating malaria, at a time when the effectiveness of current pesticides against malaria mosquitoes is declining.

24 Feb 2011

Finally! A vaccine against Dengue

Scientists from Thailand have successfully produced the world’s first dengue hemorrhagic fever vaccine and will allow the private sector improve it for the effective treatment of patients. The Thailand Ministry of Science and Technology has introduced the world’s first live attenuated dengue hemorrhagic fever vaccine.

23 Feb 2011

Murray valley encephalitis surfaces after 37 years

A fatal and severe form of mosquito borne viral brain infection has been detected in the Riverina Murray region of New South Wales. Murray Valley encephalitis has affected sentinel chicken flocks in the northern Victorian towns of Mildura, Robinvale, Kerang and Barmah as well in the New South Wales town of Tooleybuc, near Swan Hill. The virus has not been diagnosed in a Victorian for 37 years said Victoria’s Chief Health Officer Dr John Carnie. He said although the virus had not been detected in a human, Victorians living along the Murray River should avoid being bitten by mosquitoes.

22 Feb 2011

Scientists use synthetic oil for dispersing pathogenic fungi to prevent malaria spread

There are over 200 million cases of malaria each year and, according to the World Health Organisation, in 2009 malaria was responsible for 781,000 deaths worldwide. Malaria is spread by mosquitoes which breed in open water and spend much of their larval stage feeding on fungi and microorganisms at the water surface.

20 Feb 2011

U.S. scientists assess progress of dengue vaccine at 3-day summit in Puerto Rico

During a meeting in Puerto Rico on Thursday to discuss recent progress towards fighting dengue, researchers voiced optimism over advances in the development of vaccines to prevent the spread of the virus, "which kills 25,000 people every year," Agence France-Presse reports. The three-day summit was hosted by the NIH, CDC and PAHO, according to the news service.

19 Feb 2011

New fully human monoclonal antibodies to battle Chikungunya

The Singapore Immunology Network (SIgN), an institute of the Agency of Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), and VIVALIS, a French biopharmaceutical company, announced today the discovery of two new fully human monoclonal antibodies which could battle Chikungunya, a disease that currently has no available vaccine or specific treatment.

16 Feb 2011

Dengue strikes in a “vicious” way in north Qld

According to health authorities a vicious strain of Dengue fever is hospitalising people in far north Queensland. 20 people have been diagnosed with the Type 2 variant of the virus in East Innisfail and another five have Type 4 Dengue. 12 other people are possibly ill with the virus and awaiting laboratory confirmation.

15 Feb 2011

AFP/News24 reports on uptick in dengue outbreaks in Latin America

"An outbreak of dengue fever across much of Latin America has killed 31 people since the start of the year and is showing no sign of relenting," Agence France-Presse/News 24 reports in a piece that notes the recent increase in dengue cases in the region over the past few years. Since the start of the year, "nearly 46,600 confirmed or suspected cases have been detected in the region, according to an AFP tally based on official figures," the news service reports.

15 Feb 2011

Some fat is essential for body function

It's common knowledge that too much cholesterol and other fats can lead to disease, and that a healthy diet involves watching how much fatty food we eat. However, our bodies need a certain amount of fat to function—and we can't make it from scratch.

14 Feb 2011

New study on mosquito genome sequences to identify 'transposable elements'

A team of scientists at the University of California, Riverside has begun working on a mosquito research project that, if successful, will provide valuable genetic resources capable of transforming the way mosquito research is conducted around the world.

14 Feb 2011

Janssen, Medivir collaborate to discover and develop drugs against dengue virus

Medivir AB, the emerging research-based specialty pharmaceutical company focused on infectious diseases, announces today that it has signed a collaboration agreement with Janssen Pharmaceutica N.V. for the discovery and development of drugs for the prophylaxis and treatment of dengue virus infection.

14 Feb 2011

Advocates call for follow-through on decade-old pledge to remove tariffs on malaria treatments, prophylactics in Africa

"Malaria prevention advocates say many lives can be saved by removing taxes and tariffs from essential commodities used to fight the disease," VOA News reports. A decade ago, African leaders promised to remove tariffs on products used to fight malaria, but only six countries have actually done so, according to the Malaria Taxes and Tariffs Advocacy Project, which held a meeting in Geneva on Wednesday, Reuters reports.

14 Feb 2011

Gene-transfer system may control mosquito-borne diseases without pesticides

Scientists have modeled a system that may be used to control mosquitoes and the diseases they transmit, without the use of pesticides. In the proposed system, mosquitoes are engineered to carry two genes. The first gene causes males to transmit a toxin to females through their semen. The second gene, when expressed in females, makes them immune to this toxin.

14 Feb 2011

New York Times examines factors contributing to presence of 'exotic' infectious diseases in New York City

"When New York City's health department revealed last weekend that three people had contracted cholera, it was a reminder that the city is not just a world capital of arts, business and the like - but also of exotic diseases," the New York Times writes in an article that explores how diseases from around the world often make their way to the city through its diverse population of travelers.

14 Feb 2011

Global Health Consortium to support development of vaccines to control dengue fever

The International Vaccine Institute today announced the launch of the Dengue Vaccine Initiative, in collaboration with the Sabin Vaccine Institute, the Johns Hopkins University, and the World Health Organization, to support development of vaccines to control dengue fever, a widespread and expanding hemorrhagic fever that is endemic in most tropical and subtropical regions of the world.

10 Feb 2011

Gates Foundation awards USF $5.45M for malaria research

The University of South Florida received $5.45 million in grants from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. The first grant is to create advanced devices that mimic the human liver to better study the life cycle of the malaria parasite - particularly the elusive liver stage where the disease may be most vulnerable to attack.

9 Feb 2011