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
Despite the benefits of keeping bees, past studies have shown that honeybees, which are not native to the United States, can have negative effects on the environment. They compete with native bees, spread diseases and pollinate plants less efficiently. Now, new research from scientists at the University of California San Diego (UCSD) suggests honeybee pollination may also lead to… Continue reading Something to think about
Some mosquitoes buzzing around parts of Australia could be ferrying dangerous cargo from possums to people: flesh-eating bacteria. Of 13 mosquitoes from that species that had recently fed on an animal, two had sucked blood from both a ringtail possum and a person. That’s a small number, but such mosquitoes are probably rare, given that… Continue reading Mosquitoes and possums may spread a flesh-eating disease in Australia
Malaria–climate relationships in Ethiopia are complex, unravelling them requires good climate and malaria data (as well as data on potential confounders) and an understanding of the regional and local climate system. The development of climate informed early warning systems must, therefore, target a specific region and season when predictability is high and where the climate… Continue reading El Niño and Malaria in Ethiopia
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
European scientists say more frequent heatwaves and flooding, and longer, warmer summers, have created more favorable conditions for the bugs. They are calling for better measures to control and protect against mosquitoes. The European CDC report suggests this year, the Aedes albopictus mosquito (known to carry dengue and chikungunya) “established” itself in 13 countries in… Continue reading Vector-borne diseases risk increasing in Europe
People tend to think of malaria as a tropical disease, says Christopher Vitek, a medical entomologist at the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley in Edinburg. “But the fact of the matter is, historically we’ve had a fair amount of malaria transmission here in the U.S.” And the risk of transmission now is not zero.… Continue reading Malaria is not new to the United States
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/
Les émergences récentes de maladies à transmission vectorielle ont marqué un tournant en matière de santé publique, ces maladies affectant des territoires de plus en plus éloignés des zones endémiques. Cette situation tire son origine des changements environnementaux et de l’intensification des échanges commerciaux ou de voyageurs entre les continents. Le virus du chikungunya a été signalé… Continue reading LE MOUSTIQUE TIGRE CAPABLE DE TRANSMETTRE LE VIRUS DU CHIKUNGUNYA À DES TEMPÉRATURES TEMPÉRÉES
