Mosquito News and Research

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Mowing of wetland plants in basins increases mosquito population, finds study

A study of the West Nile virus risk associated with "dry" water-detention basins in Central Illinois took an unexpected turn when land managers started mowing the basins.

25 Jul 2015

First malaria vaccine a step closer

Mosquirix, the first malaria vaccine to be submitted for regulatory approval, has gained the support of the European Medicines Agency’s Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use (CHMP).

24 Jul 2015

Scientists discover genetic markers for mosquito resistance to insecticides

Controlling mosquitoes that carry human diseases is a global health challenge as their ability to resist insecticides now threatens efforts to prevent epidemics. Scientists from the CNRS, IRD, Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, Université Joseph Fourier in Grenoble and Institut Pasteur in French Guiana have identified new genetic markers for mosquito resistance to insecticides, which could improve its detection in the field.

24 Jul 2015

UW researchers help develop new compound to combat malaria

An international team of scientists — led by researchers from the University of Washington and two other institutions — has announced that a new compound to fight malaria is ready for human trials. In a new paper published July 15 in Science Translational Medicine, they show that this compound is the first to cripple a critical protein that the malaria parasite needs to survive at different stages of its complex life cycle, and is suitable for clinical tests in humans.

16 Jul 2015

New drug DSM265 shows potential to cure, prevent malaria

Researchers at UT Southwestern Medical Center and in Australia have shown that a drug currently in testing shows potential to cure malaria in a single dose and offers promise as a preventive treatment as well.

16 Jul 2015

Vanderbilt investigators develop potential antibody treatments against chikungunya

In late 2013 the Caribbean had its first case of the mosquito-borne chikungunya virus. Today there have been almost 1.2 million cases in 44 countries or territories, including 177 cases in 31 U.S. States. Vanderbilt University Medical Center's James Crowe, M.D., Ann Scott Carell Professor and director of the Vanderbilt Vaccine Center, and his team are reporting the first large panel of antibody treatments against this disease in the current issue of Cell Host and Microbe.

9 Jul 2015

Discovery could pave way to new treatments for malaria

Scientists have discovered new ways in which the malaria parasite survives in the blood stream of its victims, a discovery that could pave the way to new treatments for the disease.

7 Jul 2015

Research finding could lead to first effective therapies, vaccines against dengue virus

Researchers at Vanderbilt University and the National University of Singapore have determined the structure of a human monoclonal antibody which, in an animal model, strongly neutralizes a type of the potentially lethal dengue virus.

3 Jul 2015

New study looks at how leaf litter in water influences mosquitoes that can transmit West Nile virus

A new study looks at how leaf litter in water influences the abundance of Culex pipiens mosquitoes, which can transmit West Nile virus to humans, domestic animals, birds and other wildlife.

2 Jul 2015

Two South Dakota State University researchers awarded NASA grant to combat West Nile virus

Through a three-year NASA grant, two South Dakota State University researchers will help mosquito control officials use mosquito surveillance and environmental data to target West Nile virus.

2 Jul 2015

Dengue and chikungunya-carrying mosquitoes spreading to new areas, warn scientists

Scientists behind the first global distribution maps of two species of dengue and chikungunya-carrying mosquitoes warn they are spreading to new areas where they could cause disease.

1 Jul 2015

University of Oklahoma professor finds key mosquito protein for development of new malaria vaccine

A University of Oklahoma professor studying malaria mosquito interaction has discovered a new mosquito protein for the development of a new vaccine that is expected to stop the spread of the disease in areas where it is considered endemic.

30 Jun 2015

Study may help find strategies to control mosquito populations

Every time you put on bug spray this summer, you're launching a strike in the ongoing war between humans and mosquitoes -- one that is rapidly driving the evolution of the pests. Scientists studying mosquitoes in various types of environments in the United States and in Russia found that between 5 and 20 percent of a mosquito population's genome is subject to evolutionary pressures at any given time -- creating a strong signature of local adaptation to environment and humans.

26 Jun 2015

Artificial blood technology may help fight disease-transmitting mosquitoes in resource-limited areas

A "nuisance" is probably one of the nicest things people call mosquitoes. Mosquitoes have been called the deadliest animal on the planet, because of the diseases they spread.

26 Jun 2015

Study finds that Amazon river boats provide first-class ride for dengue mosquitoes

The urban mosquito that carries the dengue fever virus is hitching rides on river boats connecting the Amazonian town of Iquitos, Peru, with rural areas.

17 Jun 2015

Potential mosquito-based malaria vaccine could be a step closer

A promising type of vaccine designed to eradicate malaria by blocking parasite transmission could be a step closer, as a result of experts uncovering new information about the targeted protein.

17 Jun 2015

Researchers locate promising target for potential vaccine against malaria

Researchers from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health have located a new - and likely more promising, they say - target for a potential vaccine against malaria, a mosquito-borne illness that kills as many as 750,000 people each year.

16 Jun 2015

St. George's University participates in groundbreaking study to tackle mosquito-borne diseases in Grenada

St. George's University recently participated in a groundbreaking feasibility study for an infectious disease surveillance system conducted with a team of researchers and scientists in Grenada.

10 Jun 2015

Designing infectious disease forecasting models to predict dengue epidemics

Dengue viruses are on the move. Spread among humans by mosquitoes, and across geographic boundaries through travel, the virus affects up to an estimated 390 million people every year around the world. In the U.S., recent outbreaks have occurred in Florida, Texas, Hawaii, and Puerto Rico. Scientists know one of the best ways to reduce the impact of the disease is to prepare healthcare providers by forecasting epidemics before they happen.

8 Jun 2015

Pennsylvania physicians urge residents to take precautions against bug bites, bee stings

For many people, bug bites and bee stings aren't a big deal beyond a small irritation. But for some, it could mean the start of a painful - possibly long-term or even deadly - experience.

1 Jun 2015