mosquito borne diseases
Newsletter
Credit: budak/Flickr
CDC develops new test to identify climate-driven malaria-carrying mosquitoes
In a major stride against malaria, CDC researchers have created a rapid test to identify the Anopheles stephensi mosquito, a malaria carrier thriving due to climate change.
In short:
- Anopheles stephensi, native to Asia, has established itself in Africa due to global warming, threatening 130 million people.
- The CDC’s new test allows rapid identification of this mosquito, enabling quicker responses to potential malaria outbreaks.
- Climate change facilitates the spread and persistence of this mosquito in new regions, increasing malaria risks.
Key quote:
"If we start seeing that mosquito in the United States, transmitting or getting a foothold here, then there’s more concern that we’re going to see more widespread malaria in, potentially, urban areas.”
— Judith O’Donnell, infectious disease specialist at the University of Pennsylvania
Why this matters:
This breakthrough couldn't come at a better time, as the threat of malaria establishing itself in the U.S. looms larger. By nipping these mosquito migrations in the bud, we might just keep malaria at bay and protect vulnerable communities from a resurgence of this ancient scourge. Read more: The Holocene climate experience.
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Credit: Agência Brasília/Flickr
Millions infected with dengue as hotter temperatures cause virus to flare
Dengue is sweeping across the Western Hemisphere in numbers not seen since record-keeping began in 1980 as experts warn that rising temperatures and rapid urbanization are accelerating the pace of infections.
As temperatures rise, Dengue fever spreads and cases rise
With temperatures and rainfall increasing, the mosquitoes that carry dengue viruses are extending their range. More than 4.5 million cases have been reported this year, and global climate models project an additional 2 billion people could be at risk of infection by 2080.
Photo by Егор Камелев on Unsplash
Mosquitoes are a growing public health threat, reversing years of progress
Don't miss this compelling global health series by The New York Times: The fight against mosquitos has never been more urgent as climate change and the rapid evolution of the insect have thwarted efforts to combat devastating diseases like malaria and dengue. Scientists are innovating, reports Stephanie Nolen, pursuing new strategies to protect public health.
Nolen traveled to five countries in Africa and Latin America to cover multiple aspects of this growing global challenge:
Mosquitoes are a growing public health threat, reversing years of progress
Climate change and the rapid evolution of the insect have helped drive up malaria deaths and brought dengue and other mosquito-borne viruses to places that never had to worry about them.
An invasive mosquito threatens catastrophe in Africa
A malaria-carrying species that thrives in urban areas and resists all insecticides is causing outbreaks in places that have rarely faced the disease.
The gamble: Can genetically-modified mosquitos end disease?
Working on a remote island, scientists think they can use genetic engineering to block a malaria-carrying species of mosquito from spreading the disease — and do it in just a few months. But governments are wary.
One village, two houses and a new tactic to win the war on mosquitos
A different way of thinking about mosquito-borne diseases could save billions of dollars and end them for good, some health experts believe.
Unleashing a new weapon on the mosquito: a mosquito
What if, instead of killing the mosquitoes, you could disarm them? Even if you couldn’t keep them from biting people, what if you could block them from passing on disease? What if you could use one infectious microbe to stop another?
Insecticides can't stop the mosquitos. Now what?
Old weapons like bed nets and insecticides don't work well anymore: Mosquitos have evolved to resist and evade them. The world needs to ways to fight mosquitos.
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Newsletter
Dengue fever cases surge as temperatures rise
Experts say a tangled web of factors is driving global spikes in dengue, but one culprit stands out: climate change.
Top Story
Malaria cases in Florida and Texas raise prospect of greater transmission in a warmer future
Seven people in the U.S. have contracted the disease from local mosquitoes—the nation’s first such cases in 20 years. As climate change plays out, researchers say, warmer and wetter weather could mean more mosquito-borne illnesses.
Oregon State University/Flickr/Photo by James Gathany, courtesy of Centers for Disease Controlhttps://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0/
Peru is enduring its worst dengue outbreak ever. Is El Niño making it worse?
Peru is battling the worst dengue outbreak in its recorded history, with more than 140,000 registered cases so far this year and more than 200 people believed to have died from complications related to infections.
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