Mosquito News and Research

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Researchers discover new neurotoxin that selectively targets mosquitoes

Researchers at the universities in Stockholm and Lund, in collaboration with researchers from the University of California, have found a new toxin that selectively targets mosquitos.

28 Jun 2019

Nitrogen-rich diet reduces mosquitoes' ability to transmit Zika

Feed mosquitoes more nitrogen when they're young, and the adults are less likely to transmit the Zika virus, University of Florida scientists say. Now, researchers want to know why, and they're determined to discover how the findings can help further their research into the dangerous virus.

24 Jun 2019

Machine learning identifies bugs that spread Chagas disease

New research from the University of Kansas shows machine learning is capable of identifying insects that spread the incurable disease called Chagas with high precision, based on ordinary digital photos.

20 Jun 2019

Engineers crack the code to quickly diagnose anti-malarial drug resistance

One of the keys to quickly diagnosing anti-malarial drug resistance -- potentially saving lives -- lies in testing whole blood instead of extracting DNA, eliminating processing steps that can take hours or days.

13 Jun 2019

New assay uses a drop of blood to detect patients' resistance to antimalarial drugs

Antimalarial drugs appear to follow a typical pattern, with early effectiveness eventually limited by the emergence of drug resistance.

13 Jun 2019

New study suggests bacteria-loaded mosquitoes may halt spread of Dengue fever

Dengue fever stopped spreading in an Australian city, called Townsville, after an army of mosquitoes infected with the Wolbachia bacterium was released on it.

11 Jun 2019

Scorpion venom contains compounds that could help fight Staph and tuberculosis bacteria

Researchers at Stanford University and Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM) have found that a scorpion found in Eastern Mexico has a venom that could have antibacterial properties.

10 Jun 2019

War against mosquitoes saves lives and money in Sri Lanka

A large-scale drive against mosquitoes in Sri Lanka reduced the incidence of dengue fever and saved a lot of money as well, according to a study led by the New York University of Global Public Health.

6 Jun 2019

FDA approves first vaccine for prevention of dengue disease in endemic regions

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration announced today the approval of Dengvaxia, the first vaccine approved for the prevention of dengue disease caused by all dengue virus serotypes (1, 2, 3 and 4) in people ages 9 through 16 who have laboratory-confirmed previous dengue infection and who live in endemic areas.

6 Jun 2019

Climate change adversely affects human health, says new report

Climate change may progressively affect human health for the worse, requiring prompt and resolute action to stabilize it, reports a consortium of 27 leading scientific academies in Europe.

4 Jun 2019

Texas Biomed awarded $2 million DOD grant to study promising Zika vaccine

The emerging Zika virus is a particular threat to pregnant women. The disease can be transmitted by the bite of an infected mosquito and is associated with devastating birth defects, like microcephaly. No approved vaccine against the virus exists.

3 Jun 2019

GM fungus kills 99% of mosquitoes in Malaria-endemic region of Africa

Mosquito populations that are responsible for spreading malaria can be dramatically reduced with a new GM fungus that produces spider toxins.

31 May 2019

Malaria free status for Algeria and Argentina

The World Health Organization (WHO) has declared Argentina and Algeria malaria-free in a historic announcement for the two nations.

27 May 2019

Study sheds light on the burden of dengue in Bangladesh

Dengue, also known as dengue fever, is a viral disease transmitted to humans by mosquitoes of the genus Aedes.

24 May 2019

Southern Research team aims to discover new, safer antimalarial medicines

Scientists at Southern Research's Drug Discovery division have joined the fight against malaria through efforts aimed at discovering new drugs and improving the safety and efficacy of current antimalarial medicines.

22 May 2019

New coalition to boost fight against blood-feeding insects

As the incidence of diseases transmitted by ticks and mosquitoes in the U.S. continues to rise, a coordinated and strategic response is needed now more than ever--and a diverse set of organizations are aligning to answer the call.

21 May 2019

Exploring the possibility of a broadly effective dengue vaccine

Dengue is on the rise, with about 20,000 patients dying each year from this mosquito-borne disease, yet despite ongoing efforts a broadly effective dengue vaccine is not available.

15 May 2019

Scientists investigate function of AAPP in mosquito blood feeding

Biting insects use a range of tools when sucking blood from hosts to maximize their chances of a good meal.

13 May 2019

Study reveals how dengue virus replicates in infected cells

The nonstructural protein 1 of the dengue virus interacts with another viral protein called NS4A-2K-4B to enable viral replication, according to a study published May 9 in the open-access journal PLOS Pathogens by Ralf Bartenschlager of the University of Heidelberg, and colleagues.

10 May 2019

Egg yolk precursor protein plays key role in regulating mosquitos’ attraction to humans

Feeding mosquitoes sugar makes them less attracted to humans, a response that is regulated by the protein vitellogenin, according to a study publishing May 9 in the open-access journal PLOS Biology by Jessica Dittmer, Paolo Gabrieli and colleagues at the Università degli Studi di Pavia in Italy.

10 May 2019