Chikungunya News and Research

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New project to study effect of climate change on society's vulnerability to dengue fever

New research project will study how changes and variations in climate affect a society's vulnerability and risk of mosquito-transmitted diseases, particularly dengue fever, in Southeast Asia.

26 Jan 2018

Mosquitoes can rapidly learn and remember the smell of hosts, study shows

Your grandmother's insistence that you receive more bug bites because you're 'sweeter' may not be that far-fetched after all, according to pioneering research from Virginia Tech scientists.

25 Jan 2018

Heavy rainfall can help predict mosquito-borne virus outbreaks

A new study demonstrates that outbreaks of mosquito-borne viruses Zika and Chikungunya generally occur about three weeks after heavy rainfall.

22 Nov 2017

Brazilian Zika epidemic could soon be over, say scientists

In 2016, news about the Zika virus in Brazil made the headlines in Europe for the first time. With approximately 65 million people affected, it is one of the largest epidemics in the last few years.

16 Nov 2017

CRISPR shows potential to reduce diseases spread by mosquitoes

Research at the University of California, Riverside, have shown that it is possible for transgenic mosquitos to stably express the Cas9 enzyme in their germline. Cas9 addition will allow the utilization of the CRISPR gene editing tool to carry out efficient and highly targeted changes to the DNA of the mosquitoes.

16 Nov 2017

UCR researchers develop transgenic mosquitoes to help reduce spread of infectious diseases

Researchers at the University of California, Riverside have developed transgenic mosquitoes that stably express the Cas9 enzyme in their germline. The addition of Cas9 will enable the use of the CRISPR gene editing tool to make efficient, targeted changes to the mosquitoes' DNA.

14 Nov 2017

Mosquito control using special bacteria infected mosquitoes approved by the EPA

The Environmental Protection Agency has now approved the use of special mosquitoes that have been infected with bacteria called Wolbachia for eradication of mosquitoes in 20 states and District of Columbia. This approach is known as the use of “biopesticide”. Now mosquitoes that spread viral illnesses like Dengue, Chikungunya, Zika etc. would be controlled effectively.

9 Nov 2017

Scientists characterize infection mechanism of Rift Valley fever virus

Rift Valley fever virus, transmitted by mosquitoes, is responsible for outbreaks in livestock in Africa and can also be fatal in humans. Scientists from the Institut Pasteur and the CNRS, working with the University of Göttingen, have characterized the mechanism used by the virus to insert one of its envelope proteins into the host cell membrane, thereby enabling it to infect the cell.

9 Nov 2017

New DNA-based Zika vaccine demonstrates safety and ability to elicit immune response

A new generation DNA-based Zika vaccine is the first to demonstrate both safety and the ability to elicit an immune response against Zika in humans, according to new research from the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, conducted in partnership with The Wistar Institute, Inovio Pharmaceuticals, and GeneOne Life Science, Inc.

5 Oct 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

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

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

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

FDA issues Emergency Use Authorization for multiplex Zika test

The Center for Infection and Immunity at Columbia University's Mailman School today announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has issued an Emergency Use Authorization for the CII-ArboViroPlex rRT-PCR Test, the first multiplex assay that simultaneously tests for the presence of Zika virus, all serotypes of dengue virus, chikungunya virus, and West Nile virus, as well as a host gene that ensures the accuracy of results.

14 Aug 2017

Innovative handheld genetic sequencing device helps scientists track evolution of Zika virus

An international group of researchers on board a mobile laboratory equipped with an innovative handheld genetic sequencing device are tracking the movement of the Zika virus since it disembarked in Brazil and began spreading through the Americas.

From Oxford Nanopore Technologies 10 Aug 2017

Sexual transmission of Zika virus reported in Florida

Yesterday, Florida Department of Health reported the first case of sexually transmitted Zika virus this year.

2 Aug 2017

Researchers explore ability of Florida mosquitoes to transmit chikungunya virus

University of Florida scientists are starting to better understand the ability of two Florida mosquito species to transmit two strains of chikungunya virus that have caused outbreaks of human disease around the world.

27 Jul 2017

Kidenga app tracks mosquito activity and disease symptoms for summer travelers

Just because Zika isn't in the news as much lately, doesn't mean the mosquito-borne infection no longer is a health threat.

26 Jul 2017

New mathematical model could serve as guide to halt spread of mosquito-borne viruses

Upstate Medical University researcher Anna Stewart Ibarra, Ph.D., M.P.A., and her colleagues have created a mathematical model that can serve as a guide to make monthly predictions on when people are at greatest risk for contracting mosquito-borne viruses, such as dengue, Zika, and chikungunya, due to climate conditions.

21 Jul 2017

20 million engineered and bacteria charged mosquitoes to be released in California

Alphabet Inc.’s Verily Life Sciences unit has come up with a plan to release around 20 million bacteria-filled engineered mosquitoes in Fresno, California. These are male mosquitoes that have been reared by machines and the campaign begins this Friday.

17 Jul 2017