Mosquito News and Research

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Brain-infecting virus has spread across the US at record rates this year

Health officials have announced over the weekend that more people have been infected with or died from the EEE virus, making 2019 the worst year yet for recorded cases.

24 Sep 2019

Mutations in specific protein make dengue virus resistant to vaccines and therapeutics

Dengue virus infects about 400 million people annually around the world, with a high prevalence in tropical and sub-tropical regions.

20 Sep 2019

Invasive mosquitoes plunge deeper into California

Two invasive species of mosquitoes that can carry Zika, dengue, yellow fever and other dangerous viruses are spreading in California — and have been found as far north as Sacramento and Placer counties.

20 Sep 2019

A single dose of yellow fever vaccine does not offer long-term immunity to children

Yellow fever is a viral infection spread by various species of mosquito and is rife in 34 countries in Africa and 13 in Latin America.

20 Sep 2019

Concerns over GM mosquitoes released in Brazil

A field experiment that released genetically modified mosquitoes in Brazil to control natural populations of the insect may have had unintended consequences.

18 Sep 2019

Low blood iron levels increase risk of Dengue

The more anemic you are, the more likely it is that you could spread dengue fever because mosquitoes feeding on your blood have a greater chance of picking up the virus. This was reported by a new study published in the journal Nature Microbiology on September 16, 2019.

17 Sep 2019

Clinically undetectable Plasmodium relapse infections may still pose a threat

Nonhuman primates with clinically undetectable Plasmodium relapse infections still harbor parasitic gametocytes that may be infectious to mosquitoes, according to a study published September 19 in the open-access journal PLOS Pathogens by F. Eun-Hyung Lee and Mary R. Galinski of Emory University, Tracey J. Lamb of the University of Utah, and colleagues.

From PLOS ONE 17 Sep 2019

Dengue fever is endemic in places where iron deficiency is more common

Mosquitoes are more likely to acquire the dengue virus when they feed on blood with low levels of iron, researchers report in the 16 September issue of Nature Microbiology.

16 Sep 2019

West Nile Virus samples found 10 miles apart came from different places, NAU scientist finds

After sequencing more than 400 different genomes of the West Nile Virus, an NAU scientist discovered the two reports of West Nile Virus in Coconino County came from two different places. One migrated north from the Phoenix area. The other is a bit more of a mystery.

15 Sep 2019

Malarial treatment from Antarctic sea sponge

Malaria, which ravages hot tropical areas, could be treated effectively using a protein extracted from an Antarctic sponge.

12 Sep 2019

Malaria could be completely eradicated by 2050

A new report published on the 8th of September 2019 by The Lancet Commission says that mosquito-borne malaria that kills thousands across the world could be eradicated by 2050. A team of 41 researchers including those that are experts on malaria, scientists, health policy experts as well as economists came together to create this exhaustive report on current status of malaria and its future around the world.

9 Sep 2019

Eradicating malaria by 2050 would be 'an achievement of historic proportions', say experts

According to a major report by 41 leading scientists, health-policy experts and economists, the world could be free of malaria by 2050.

9 Sep 2019

VUMC partners with Batavia to move promising Zika antibody therapy closer to the clinic

Researchers at Vanderbilt University Medical Center are partnering with the Dutch biopharmaceutical firm Batavia Biosciences and Nashville-based IDBiologics to bring to the clinic a highly potent Zika virus neutralizing antibody they isolated three years ago.

6 Sep 2019

Scientists join hands to protect Australia from growing threat of infectious diseases

A new project in Northern Australia will focus on how Australia can better protect and rapidly respond to the growing global risk of emergent infectious diseases which can spread to humans through animals and insects.

30 Aug 2019

Graphene-lined fabric could slow the spread of malaria

Lining clothes with graphene could prevent the spread of malaria as mosquitoes are not able to pick up on chemical signals that encourage them to bite.

29 Aug 2019

Studying human behavior might help curb mosquito-borne illness

Control and prevention of Aedes-transmitted viruses, such as dengue, chikungunya, or Zika relies heavily on vector control approaches. Given the effort and cost involved in implementation of vector control, targeting of control measures is highly desirable. However, it is unclear to what extent the effectiveness of highly focal and reactive control measures depends on the commuting and movement patterns of humans.

27 Aug 2019

Scientists create first detailed map of individual malaria parasite behavior

The first detailed map of individual malaria parasite behavior across each stage of its complicated life cycle has been created by scientists.

26 Aug 2019

Hidden Zika outbreak in Cuba uncovered by genomic sequencing and travel data

Researchers from the Scripps have stumbled upon evidence of a hidden outbreak of Zika virus infection in Cuba, around 300 miles from the coast of Miami. The researchers managed to detect the outbreak by some detective work that used air travel patterns as well as genome sequencing of the viral samples.

25 Aug 2019

New approach to detection reveals unreported Zika outbreak in 2017

Public health experts in the US have discovered that the Zika virus may still be spreading in the Americas, despite case reporting having approached close to zero.

23 Aug 2019