August 20th is World Mosquito Day, a day that commemorates Sir Ronald Ross’s demonstration in 1897 that a female anopheline mosquito is responsible for transmitting malaria to approximately half the world’s human population. Though the use of quinine to treat malaria provided some relief, his discovery paved the way for the development of vector control… Continue reading World Mosquito Day
Mosquitoes and their associated diseases have impacted humanity throughout history. However, proof that mosquitoes could transmit pathogens and get people sick only occurred relatively recently, in the late 19th century. Until then, doctors and other public health practitioners attributed some mosquito-transmitted diseases to other causes such as miasma, or bad air. More of this story from… Continue reading Integrated vector management to protect humans and animals
New malaria cases transmitted within the United States have raised alarm bells among health officials. In 2021, there were around 247 million cases of malaria worldwide, and an estimated 619,000 people died from the disease, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). Around 95 percent of cases occur in Africa, and more than half of malaria deaths… Continue reading Malaria surfaces in the US after two decades
Autoridades sanitarias de los condados de Sarasota y Manatee, en la costa oeste de Florida, emitieron una alerta sanitaria tras confirmarse dos casos locales de malaria, una enfermedad común en África y en la India, pero no en Estados Unidos. Detalles en: https://www.elnuevodia.com/noticias/estados-unidos/notas/condados-en-florida-emiten-alerta-de-salud-tras-confirmarse-dos-casos-de-malaria/
Lyme disease, a source of stress for hikers and outdoorsy types, may soon become less of a threat. A new Lyme vaccine is under development, and this week, its creators announced the start of a large-scale clinical trial. Click on the link for more information. https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/large-lyme-disease-vaccine-clinical-trial-begins-in-us-and-europe-180980570/?utm_source=smithsoniandaily&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=20220811-daily-responsive&spMailingID=47226522&spUserID=ODY0NTg2MjM3MzcyS0&spJobID=2301166052&spReportId=MjMwMTE2NjA1MgS2
Global malaria prevention and control programs depend almost exclusively on the use of long-lasting insecticidal nets (LLINs), manufactured with materials into which insecticide is incorporated or bound in some fashion to the fibers. They are meant to provide personal protection against malaria by serving as a physical barrier between human and vector and by repelling… Continue reading Durability of long-lasting insecticidal nets (LLINs) in Ethiopia
Studies of the fine-scale spatial epidemiology of malaria consistently identify malaria hotspots, comprising clusters of homesteads at high transmission intensity. These hotspots sustain transmission, and may be targeted by malaria-control programs. Here we describe the spatial relationship between the location of Anopheles larval sites and human malaria infection in a cohort study of 642 children,… Continue reading Wind direction and proximity to larval sites determines malaria risk in Kilifi District in Kenya.
Malaria vectors have spread southward expansion by 4.7 kilometers (nearly 3 miles) every year, and risen 6.5 meters (21.3 feet) in elevation each year. That’s further and faster than previous estimates which reported that across the board, terrestrial species were moving poleward by 1.7 kilometers (1.05 miles) a year and upslope by 1.1 meters (3.6 feet)… Continue reading Malaria Vectors Expanding Their Territory Almost 5 Km Annually
Las chinches de cama han vivido en nuestras casas durante miles de años. Este pequeño insecto hemíptero es un ectoparásito que se alimenta de sangre humana y de otros animales como aves de corral, murciélagos o roedores. Hay dos especies que afectan a humanos: Cimex lectularius, más cosmopolita, y C. hemipterus más frecuente en trópicos… Continue reading ¿Por qué han regresado los chinches de cama y cómo los podemos combatir?
A fascinating interview with Ronald Sherman, M.D., M.Sc., DTM&H regarding the use of fly maggots as therapy for specific condition recently published in Entomology Today provides an interesting glance at this fascinating and seldom used tool. The full report can be found at: Entomological Medicine: How One Scientist is Working to Bring Maggot Therapy Into… Continue reading The return of Myiasis?
