Mosquito News and Research

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New paper-based test can diagnose Zika infection within 20 minutes

MIT researchers have developed a paper-based test that can diagnose Zika infection within 20 minutes. Unlike existing tests, the new diagnostic does not cross-react with Dengue virus, a close relative of the Zika virus that can produce false positives on many Zika tests.

27 Sep 2017

Study: Antibody neutralizes dengue and Zika virus in mice

Brazil and other areas hardest hit by the Zika virus – which can cause babies to be born with abnormally small heads – are also home to dengue virus, which is spread by the same mosquito species.

25 Sep 2017

“Super malaria” resistant to standard medications in South East Asia

The spread of a single multidrug resistant malaria parasite strain in Vietnam is cause for alarm say researchers.

25 Sep 2017

Time spent outdoors impacts risk for contracting Zika virus

When Zika first buzzed into the continental United States during the 2016 outbreak, Florida was hit first--and hardest--with 1,174 documented cases to date. So, when Marco Ajelli, associate research scientist at Northeastern and an expert in infectious disease modeling, wanted to study how time spent outside might affect the spread of the epidemic, he chose to focus on the state's most stricken county: Miami-Dade.

22 Sep 2017

PET imaging helps scientists to study progression of Zika virus infection in mice

For the first time, scientists have used Positron Emission Tomography imaging to study brain inflammation following Zika virus infection in mice, according to a study recently published online in the journal Molecular Imaging and Biology.

19 Sep 2017

Carbohydrates on surface of malaria parasites could be key to effective vaccine

An international research team has shown for the first time that carbohydrates on the surface of malaria parasites play a critical role in malaria's ability to infect mosquito and human hosts.

18 Sep 2017

UF professor suggests steps for controlling mosquitoes after hurricane

Hurricane Irma left a lot of standing water in the yards and homes of Florida residents. So, a University of Florida researcher suggests steps for making sure your home doesn't become a haven for mosquitoes.

15 Sep 2017

Researchers use NASA’s satellite data to forecast malaria outbreaks

In the Amazon Rainforest, few animals are as dangerous to humans as mosquitos that transmit malaria. The tropical disease can bring on high fever, headaches, and chills and is particularly severe for children and the elderly and can cause complications for pregnant women.

13 Sep 2017

Bacteria in aquatic environment can modulate the ability of adult mosquitoes to transmit human pathogens

Mosquitoes are holometabolous insects (i.e. organisms that go through a complete metamorphosis). As such, they occupy two main habitats during their life cycle.

7 Sep 2017

Novel compounds found to be highly effective in preventing transmission of malaria parasites

Significant headway has been made in controlling malaria. However, two vexing problems remain: currently available treatments are unable to block transmission of the parasite that causes the disease, and the parasite often becomes resistant to drugs.

7 Sep 2017

Molecular analysis confirms zoonotic transmission of malaria in Atlantic Forest area in southern Brazil

Malaria was eliminated from southern and southeastern Brazil over 50 years ago, but a number of cases each year in areas of the Atlantic Forest prompted researchers to investigate the possibility of zoonotic transmission - where human beings become infected, via a mosquito bite, with a malaria parasite that usually infects monkeys.

6 Sep 2017

Zika virus found to specifically kill glioblastoma brain cancer cells

According to a latest study supported by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), a part of the National Institutes of Health, the deadly Zika virus could be used to kill a specific type of brain cancer cells and sparing the neighbouring healthy brain cells. Although experimental in stage, this finding has wide implications for those suffering from these cancers.

5 Sep 2017

Researchers identify impact of climatic factors on dengue disease burden in India

The University of Liverpool is part of an international team of scientists that have identified the climatic risks for dengue disease outbreaks, with a new study undertaken in India.

1 Sep 2017

Placenta-on-a-chip device mimics microenvironment of malaria in the womb to develop treatments

Malaria, one of the most severe public health problems, affected 212 million people worldwide in 2015. This life-threatening disease is caused by parasites that are transmitted to humans through the bites of infected female Anopheles mosquitoes.

29 Aug 2017

Scientists discover way to treat severe inflammation from mosquito-borne diseases

Scientists have discovered a way that could help treat severe inflammation from an infectious mosquito-borne disease during outbreaks.

29 Aug 2017

Researchers show potential of using low-cost rapid diagnostic test to detect severe malaria

Malaria is a leading cause of death for children living in Sub-Saharan Africa. Many children in rural areas seek care at local community health clinics, but these clinics lack reliable tests to distinguish severe and uncomplicated malaria.

24 Aug 2017

Zika infection through sex may cause severe fetal effects compared to mosquito transmission

Rhesus macaques that were vaginally infected with Zika virus showed higher prevalence of Zika in the reproductive tract than previously seen in macaques that received skin injections of the virus.

24 Aug 2017

Fewer disease-carrying mosquitoes live in undisturbed tropical forests, study finds

A new study by scientists from the Smithsonian, the Panamanian government, and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, among other institutions, concludes that conserving old-growth tropical rainforest is "highly recommended" to prevent new outbreaks of viral and parasitic mosquito-borne diseases.

23 Aug 2017

Scientists develop new attract-and-kill technique to eradicate mosquitoes

Mosquitoes aren't just blood thirsty. They also have a sweet tooth, relying on plant nectar to get the sugar they need to survive. Exploiting this weakness, scientists have developed an environmentally friendly eradication method.